Body found in church after hunt for Polish woman

Police hunting for a missing Polish student said last night that a body had been found concealed in a church in Glasgow.

Angelika Kluk, 23, a language studies student spending the summer in the city, where her sister Aneta works as a secretary, was reported missing on Monday after she failed to turn up for her job as a cleaner.

Police would not confirm the gender of the body found in St Patrick's church in the Anderston area of the city, or explain how the body was hidden, and said the missing person's case remained open.

The last person seen with Ms Kluk, who has been living at the church since July and was due to return home to Gdansk next week, was a convicted sex offender.

The student, who has a Scottish boyfriend, had befriended a handyman who has recently been making repairs to the church and is known to the congregation as Pat McLaughlin. His real name is Peter Tobin, aged 60. He was convicted and jailed for raping a teenager and sexually assaulting another in 1994.

Mr Tobin, who spoke briefly to police about Ms Kluk's disappearance, gave officers a false name, date of birth and address, and has since vanished. Police said his last known address was in the Paisley area.

Strathclyde Police have appealed for Mr Tobin, who poses a "potential risk to the public" to come forward.

Ronnie Convery, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Glasgow, said the discovery of the body was "utterly horrific", and said police had sealed off the area around the church.