DIVERS have this morning searched the water around the home of murder victim Delia Hughes.

Shallow water searches are taking place around the Ocean Village Marina where the 85-year-old was found dead almost a week ago at her flat in Atlantic Close, Southampton .

Police confirmed the move was part of an ongoing search for the weapon used to kill the pensioner after they received reports that someone was seen throwning an item into the marina around the time of the murder.

A specialist team of divers was called in from Thames Valley Police to help with the search, which involved a small area of water near the marina walls.

Detectives have also launched an appeal to track down three people police urgently want to speak to.

The first person is a man who was seen by a resident of Atlantic Close at around 9.30am on Saturday, August 18, the same day that Mrs Hughes’s body was found.

The man, who is not known to be a resident of the area, walked from Atlantic Close towards Tasman Close and was described as white, aged between 25 and 30, of very slim build, about 5ft 8ins and described as nimble on his feet. He was wearing a blue or dark grey hooded top with a zip at the front.

The other two people det-ectives would like to speak to are a couple, a man and a woman, who were seen in the area by residents on several occasions in the preceding days to the murder.

The man walked with crutches with a mid-calf height white plaster cast or heavy bandage on his right leg. He was white, aged in his mid to late 20s, 5ft 9ins with short unkempt facial hair and was wearing jeans and a T-shirt and he spoke with a ‘southern accent’.

The woman he was with was also white, about 5ft 5ins, with dark, straight shoulder-length hair.

Detective Superintendent Tony Harris said: “Details about these people has come to us from members of the public. It is essential that we identify and speak to them as, potentially, they could hold vital information that will assist the inquiry team.

“If you are one of these people, know who they are or if they have visited you in your Ocean Village home, please contact us.”

Mrs Hughes, a great-grandmother of three, was found by relatives on Saturday evening after they had been unable to contact her for several days.

She had suffered several blows to the head.

A man aged 37 and woman aged 29 remain on police bail in connection with the inquiry.

Anyone with information can contact the Operation Anglian investigation team on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 111 555.