Rough sleepers hunted over murder of allotment boss, 80, found ‘strangled’ in locked shed – as cops offer £20k for information

AN allotment boss aged 80 has been found murdered in a locked shed by her vegetable patch.

Lea Adri-Soejoko was discovered after failing to turn up to a gardeners’ meeting.

Neighbours claimed  the grandmother was strangled with a rope.

Cops yesterday said they want to quiz  local rough sleepers and allotment holders who may have seen her on the day she died.

Her body was found  in the  padlocked shed where she kept gardening tools on Tuesday.

Neighbour Zak Gulle, 68, said: “She was strangled with a rope in a shed near hers, her clothes were pulled over her head, that’s what one of her allotment friends told me. It’s a  shock to everybody.”

Plot-holder Cindy Matthews, 67, said: “Lea was a lovely woman, she was the person you would go to if you had a problem.”

Widow Lea, the president of the allotment society, was last seen by her family in Colindale, North London, on Sunday evening.

Det Chief Insp Noel McHugh said he could not reveal how she died for “operational reasons”.

Allotment users said there had been recent break-ins at the site.

Lea, originally from Belgium, had two daughters and a son.

Lea, who was secretary of the allotment society, was discovered by police around 2am on Tuesday.

Her body was found in a storage unit similar to a garage less than 100 yards from her home in Colindale, north London.

She had been reported missing just 25 minutes before. Her home has been sealed off as a crime scene.

A post mortem has not been able to reveal a cause of death.

Detective Chief Inspector Noel McHugh, of the Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command said: “At this stage we are keeping an open mind about any possible motive and would ask any witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.

“I make a direct appeal to anyone with links to these allotments who would have visited or had been in or around the area throughout Monday, February 27, into the early hours of the following morning.

“An elderly woman lost her life in the most tragic way possible and was left inside a storage unit similar to a garage. If you know anything please contact us.”

Neighbours have expressed their shock at the Lea's death.

Upinder Singh said: "I saw her last Friday when she was putting out the bins.

"My mum saw her two or three days ago.

"She was always pottering around in her big garden.

"She was fragile but capable, her daughter used to come every week but recently she has been coming a lot."

Anyone with information is asked to call the incident room on 020 8785 8099 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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