Mom found dead, disabled son missing

REDDITCH, England, April 22 (UPI) -- Police in England searched without result Tuesday for a mentally disabled young man after his mother was found dead near their home.

Heather Wardle, 39, was last seen Friday, investigators said. Teenagers found her body late Monday in underbrush in Redditch, Worcestershire. Investigators were unsure when her son, James Hughes, 22, was last seen, The Guardian reported.

Hughes has epilepsy, has trouble walking on his own, cannot care for himself and has the mental abilities of a small child. Neighbors said he normally uses a wheelchair.

"Heather was James' main carer and her family tell us she was a fantastic mother," said Police Superintendent Jane Horwood. "However, looking after another person -- however much that person is loved -- round the clock inevitably takes its toll and we can only imagine what tremendous strain Heather was under."

Wardle had three younger sons, 18, 6 and 8. Lyn Parkes, who lives nearby, said Wardle "dotes on her kids."