A woman has died after falling off a canal boat in north Oxfordshire.

Emergency services were called to the Oxford Canal at Old Wharf in Cropredy, near Banbury, shortly after 5.20pm yesterday.

Police believe the woman, who was in her late 40s and from Devon, is thought to have banged her head as she fell off the back of the boat into a lock.

The canal was closed while the police carried out an investigation.

David Staines, a spokesman for Thames Valley Police, said: “We received reports that a 47-year-old woman had fallen into the canal at Broadmore Lock and her death was confirmed at 5.40pm."

The incident is not suspicious, but a spokesman said it was being treated as unexplained.

The woman’s family are thought to have hired the canal boat from a firm in Rugby, Warwickshire.