Police investigating the death of Herefordshire heroin addict Rachel Whitear say there is no new evidence to suggest she was murdered.

Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Howlett said it was still possible the 21-year-old may have suffered a drugs-related death before her body was discovered in an Exmouth flat four years ago.

He was speaking after Rachel's body had been exhumed from St Peter's Church in Withington and taken to Hereford County Hospital for a post-mortem.

Det Chief Supt Howlett expressed hope that the results from toxicology tests, which should be available in five weeks' time, would give greater clarity into the cause of Rachel's death.

As the nation's media gathered on a grassy bank outside Withington Church on Tuesday evening, Det Chief Supt Howlett said: "There is no evidence to suggest Rachel was murdered as a result of excess force and, following the post-mortem, there is no new evidence to immediately indicate that Rachel died from a natural disease."

"It continues to be the case that Rachel's death might have been drug-related."

Having watched the exhumation and re-interment of her daughter's body within the space of five hours, an understandably emotional Pauline Holcroft thanked Mr Howlett and his team and 'all those professionals for the very patient and dignified way they have carried out their difficult task'.

The exhumation was part of a new inquiry by Wiltshire Police into the death of Rachel after her parents raised concerns about the initial investigations in May 2000.

Although it was thought she died from a drugs overdose, an inquest recorded an open verdict and no post-mortem was carried out.

The sad story of Rachel was first published by the Hereford Times when her mother and step-father allowed the shocking photographs of their daughter's dead body to be used in an anti-drugs campaign.

The images of Rachel's body kneeling over and still clutching a syringe brought the former Aylestone High School student's death into the media spotlight.