A woman who studied in Brighton has been murdered.

The body of Jia Ashton, who arrived in the UK when she was 16 and attended college in the city, was discovered on March 13.

Mrs Ashton, 25, had been working for chocolate-maker Thorntons at the time of her death. Her body was found in Sleetmoor Woods, Derbyshire, by a mountain rescue team.

Mrs Ashton, who lived in Somercotes, SDerbyshire, Swanwick, had been assaulted, detectives said.

The last known sighting of Mrs Ashton, who was wearing a grey herringbone-patterned coat with a zip-up front and a hood, with black trousers, left work around 5pm on March 10 and walked along a path in Sleetmoor Woods that is known locally as the Yellow Brick Road.

A spokesman for Derbyshire Police said detectives thought Mrs Ashton was killed on that day, even though her body lay undiscovered for three days. She was reported missing by her husband, Matthew, last Friday.

A man was arrested on suspicion of Mrs Ashton's murder on March 13 but freed without charge shortly before 5pm on Wednesday, the force spokesman said.

On Monday, Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Cotterill said he thought several key witnesses who were in Sleetmoor Woods around the time of Mrs Ashton's death have yet to come forward and contact police.

Detectives would particularly like to speak to a motorcyclist in the woods that day, he said. "The response from the public so far has been fantastic and I'm grateful to everyone who has come forward," Mr Cotterill said. "However, I believe several people who were in the woods between 4pm and 7pm on Thursday, March 10, are yet to speak to officers.

"We would also like to speak to a motorcyclist using the woods that evening. I want to assure them that they are not in any sort of trouble, we just need to find out whether or not they saw anything that could help with our investigation."

Anyone who can help the police inquiry can ring the incident room on 0345 123 3333 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Did you know Mrs Ashton?

Pay tribute below or email anna.roberts@theargus.co.uk