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A nurse whose body was found in a river three weeks after she disappeared died as a result of drowning, an inquest has heard.

Victoria Taylor, 34, was last seen at her home in Malton, North Yorkshire, on 30 September.

Her disappearance prompted extensive searches and her body was recovered from the River Derwent on 22 October.

Coroner Catherine Cundy opened and adjourned the inquest in Northallerton and said the provisional cause of Ms Taylor's death was drowning.

She added Ms Taylor, who had a young child, was "pronounced dead at the scene".

North Yorkshire Police previously said Ms Taylor, who was originally from Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, was found by divers in a part of the river that was close to where some her belongings were discovered.

CCTV footage also showed she had been heading towards a playground close to the river on Riverside Walk at 12:30 GMT on the day she went missing.

At a press conference on the day Miss Taylor's body was found, Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Fox said her family were "understandably distressed".

He added: "The disappearance of Victoria has understandably had a wider impact on the communities of Malton and Norton.

"Those closest to Victoria have felt an enormous amount of heartache in the days after she went missing and have acknowledged how grateful they are for the overwhelming support from the community."

The full inquest was adjourned to a date to be fixed.

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