VILLAGERS have told of their shock after discovering a woman who grew up in their community was the victim of North Yorkshire’s post office robbery murder.

Diana Garbutt, formerly Kiefer, was brought up in Eggborough, attending Whitley and Eggborough Primary School before moving on to Brayton High School and then Selby College.

A woman who lived near her family home in Westfield Avenue said Diana had been a “happy and bright” girl, who her daughter knew well when they were growing up.

“My daughter told me yesterday she had heard through Facebook that Diana had been killed. She was really shocked,” said the woman, who did not wish to be named. “We are all shocked.”

Another resident said: “I can’t believe this has happened.”

Their comments came as police officers investigating the murder of the postmistress, which happened on Tuesday morning in Melsonby, near Richmond, carried out fingertip searches of the area.

Police divers could also be seen moving slowly along a shallow beck running through the village and under stone bridges, as they looked for the weapon used in the murder and also any discarded clothing.

Officers also looked through wheelie bins, after asking Richmondshire District Council to suspend rubbish collections until further notice and carried out more door-to-door inquiries.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said last night that the underwater searches had now been completed.

Mrs Garbutt, 40, was found dead in the living quarters of the post office by her husband Robin, after he was confronted by an armed robber as he worked in the store downstairs.

Mr Garbutt, 44, told police the masked raider, who was carrying a gun, entered the shop just after 8.30am and said “we’ve got your wife” before demanding cash from the safe, and he then left with a substantial amount of cash in a holdall.

Mrs Garbutt died from severe head injuries. Police said she had not been shot.

Her mother, Agnes, who helps run the Boot & Shoe pub in Gowdall, was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Diana Kiefer’s profile on Friends Reunited said she had been planning to go on holiday to the United States, and said her hobbies included music, travelling, camping and socialising with friends, and she also liked mountain walking and a “bit of forced running”.

Police are looking for a suspect who is 5ft 11ins to 6ft tall, wearing a black, tight-fitting mask, a dark blue, long-sleeved T-shirt and dark blue-black coloured jeans.

They say they cannot rule out there being more than one raider.