POLICE have confirmed that the body found last night in the River Brent is that of missing teenager Alice Gross.

Alice, 14, from Hanwell, went missing on August 28 and was last seen on the Grand Union Canal towpath, near where she lives.

Alice’s parents, Rosalind Hodgkiss and Jose Gross, say they have been left completely devastated by the news.

“Alice was a loving and much loved daughter and sister, a quirky live spark of a girl, beautiful inside and out,” they said in a statement.

“We still don't know who is responsible for this crime and we ask that people continue to help the police by giving them information that could help bring the perpetrator to justice.”

Police said the post-mortem was still ongoing and that it would resume tomorrow (Thursday).

A statement from Brentside High School, which she attended, called on people to respect the privacy of Alice’s family and the school.

It said: “Alice was an outstanding and talented student who will be sorely missed from our school community.”

Earlier, police had confirmed the investigation had become a murder investigation following the discovery of the body.

Commander Graham McNulty said: “I would urge anyone who may know something to come forward. Even if you have not yet spoken out, it is not too late to tell us what you know.”

Arnis Zalkalns is the prime suspect in the case and has been missing from his Ealing home since September 3. He has a prior conviction for murder in his native Latvia.

The 41-year-old construction worker was convicted in 1998 of the murder of his wife, Rudite, and served seven years in jail.