Man charged with murder of midwife Samantha Eastwood

A week after Samantha Eastwood went missing, a body was found in a rural area of Stoke on Trent. Credit: PA

A man has been charged with the murder of Samantha Eastwood.

Staffordshire Police say Michael Stirling, aged 32, from Cromer Road, Stoke-on-Trent will appear before North Staffordshire Magistrates Court on Monday morning.

Two other men aged 60 and 28, who were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, have been released on conditional bail while enquires are ongoing.

Detectives had been searching a rural area of Stoke on Trent before discovering a body at midday on Saturday within a police cordon in place near to Caverswall.

Following the discovery Ms Eastwood's family issued a statement through Staffordshire Police in which they said "'thank-you' to all the people who followed Samantha's story and tried their best to help".

A post mortem has taken place but further tests are required.

Ms Eastwood was last seen in her uniform leaving work at Royal Stoke Hospital at 7.45am on Friday July 27.

Her colleagues raised concerns at 7.20pm on the same day after she failed to show up for her next shift.