Missing Maureen Bannister: body found at beach identified

Police have confirmed the body found on a Fife beach on Monday evening was that of Maureen Bannister

Her death remains unexplained.

Search teams made the discovery at Kinshaldy Beach at 7.10pm following an intensive search after the 43-year-old from Leuchars was first reported missing on Sunday evening.

Search teams, including a helicopter and lifeboat crews, soon descended on Tentsmuir Forest.

Ms Bannister was known to walk her dog in and around the popular beauty spot and the pet was found near her car in the Tayport area shortly after she was reported missing.

Caroline Cece, who until recently worked alongside Maureen at the Scottish SPCA’s centre at Petterden, near Dundee, said: “Maureen is just one of these people that even if you don’t see them for a while you would then meet up and it would be like you last saw them yesterday.

“I still can’t quite believe that this has happened.”

For more on this story see Wednesday’s Courier.