A post-mortem examination into the death of Sarah Everard has found compression of the neck to be the cause of death, police have confirmed.

The 33-year-old marketing executive went missing on March 3 as she walked home from a friend’s house in Clapham, south London.

Her disappearance sparked a major police investigation before her body was found in woodland in Kent a week later.

The Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday: “A post-mortem examination into the death of Sarah Everard held at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford has given cause of death as compression of the neck.

“Sarah’s family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.”

Serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens, 48, from Deal, Kent, has been charged with her kidnap and murder.

A provisional date has been set for his trial in October.

Her disappearance became national news followed by millions that highlighted the danger women can face when out alone.

The shocking story prompted a serious online discussion about the differing attitudes to personal safety among women and men.

Boris Johnson said the Government was committed to doing “everything we can” to make the streets safe for women in the wake of the killing of Sarah Everard.

Following a meeting of the Government’s Crime and Justice Taskforce chaired by the Prime Minister, Downing Street said it was taking a series of “immediate steps” to improve security.

They include a doubling of the Safer Streets fund – which provides neighbourhood measures such as better lighting and CCTV – to £45 million.

At the same time it said ministers were committed to working with police forces and with police and crime commissioners to ensure the measures were more focussed on preventing sexual violence.

Mr Johnson said it could mean siting measures in parks and routes used by women on their walks home.

“The horrific case of Sarah Everard has unleashed a wave of feeling about women not feeling safe at night. We must do everything we can to ensure our streets are safe,” he said.

“Ultimately, we must drive out violence against women and girls and make every part of the criminal justice system work to better protect and defend them.”