The body of a woman whose son took his own life less than two years ago has been found by police.

Marie O’Leary was last seen at about 6pm yesterday in Hersden.

Officers issued a CCTV appeal for any information on the 46-year-old woman's whereabouts.

Police have since issued a further update to say they have now found the body of a woman at a location near Ford Hill in Herne Bay.

The discovery was made at around 1.20pm. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Formal identification has not yet taken place but the family of the woman who was reported missing yesterday have been informed.

The death is not being treated as suspicious and a report is being prepared for the coroner.

Following the news, Mrs O'Leary's sister Sarah Jarvis wrote on Facebook: "My sister Marie, I love you, sweet dreams. We wouldn’t stop until you was found. Fly high, find your paradise."

Her niece, Carrie Anne Howell said: "I will never forget the kindness and love you showed me. Fly high, until we meet again, go be free with nan and Aaron Jermy in paradise."

Her son Aaron Jermy was tragically found dead by police in a field in St Martin’s Hill, Canterbury, in the early hours of December 17, 2020.

He took his own life after experiencing drug-induced psychosis and Mrs O'Leary bravely spoke out, and called for “more to be done” for people with mental health issues.

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Mrs O’Leary described her son as “a really lovely, caring, thoughtful person” in an interview with KentOnline last year.

Speaking in December 2020, she said: “Just talk - open up. Because this is where it can lead to, and I don’t want anyone else to go through this.”

“I know Aaron had a mental health illness, although it was never properly diagnosed

“I used to beg him that he needed help. I had talks with him, I screamed at him, I cried at him.

“I always said to Aaron ‘I can support you, but you’ve got to help yourself’.

“But he would always refuse. He would never go to the follow-up appointments.”

“I had a text from him at 1.24am to say ‘I love you mum, I’m sorry I’m a disappointment, and don’t mourn too long."

Mrs O'Leary then discovered the shocking number of suicides carried out by young people, particularly men.

“It is so wrong,” said Mrs O’Leary. “I said to my older son, ‘I never taught you boys to keep emotions in or be scared to talk about them’.

“And he said ‘mum, you didn’t, but society does’. Society is very much ‘you’re a man, don’t cry, don’t ask for help’.”

“Younger ones have got to know to talk to people. Boys and girls should know that any problem, any bullying, they need to just talk, open up.

“And if people have got mental illness, it can be picked up; it can be diagnosed; they can get on the right treatment and medication.

“There’s support out there.”