A family was left devastated after wrongly being told by police their daughter was dead.

As relatives of Karen Ambrose, 33, attempted to come to terms with the news, she was in fact alive and well at her boyfriend's house, in Malvern Heights, Southend.

Distruaght - James and Christine Ambrose were told their sister was dead Picture: DAVE HENDERSON

Miss Ambrose's two young daughters had been told their mother had died of a drugs overdose before red-faced officers realised their devastating blunder.

After grieving for four-and-a-half hours the family were told, in fact, the dead woman was NOT Miss Ambrose.

Police have admitted they mistook her for another woman named Karen, whose body was found in Mallards, Shoebury, on Thursday afternoon. It is believed one of the officers thought they recognised the woman as Miss Ambrose.

She went to Miss Ambrose's parents' home and broke the news.

Miss Ambrose's brothers James, 30, and Raymond, 27, and sister Christine, 31, gathered at the family home, in Sutton Road, Southend, on hearing the news.

James said: "We told Karen's kids, Rianna, who's nine, and Helen, who's 13, their mother had died. We were all devastated."

It was only when Christine decided to call Miss Ambrose's boyfriend the truth was discovered. Christine said: "He asked if it was some kind of sick joke."

When Christine and James arrived at their sister's home, they found her watching television.

Chief Supt Mick Thwaites, of Southend police, admitted the mix-up. He said: "We do apologise. "It is of great concern this mistake has happened.

"We recognise totally the distress caused to the family."

Published Thursday, February 6, 2003