NEWENT residents have been left in shock after a woman was found dying in a toilet next to a syringe.

The 41-year-old local woman was found slumped in a cubicle at the toilets near the town centre car park on Monday night.

She was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

A post-mortem examination has yet to be carried out to establish the exact cause of death.

The woman not been formally identified but is believed to have lived in the town.

Former Mayor David Blick said some people told him she got off a bus from Ledbury around 4.45pm.

He said: "This is a very distressing incident and everybody is upset and shocked.

"We are talking about somebody's daughter and somewhere in the town a family is grieving.

"There were a lot of police here on Monday night, but as always they are reacting after the event.

"We don't know how she died but drugs are a national problem – not just in Newent – and nobody seems to be able to stop it.

"But I do think it would help to see more police out and about and taking action against the drug dealers."

Cleaner Trevor Downing found the woman when he went to lock up the toilets just before 7pm.

Police are currently treating the cause of death as unexplained and the coroner and next of kin have been informed.

A police spokesman said: "It would be inappropriate to comment any further while we continue our investigation – at this stage our thoughts are with the family of the woman."