A football coach was charged last night with murdering Kate Beagley, the Centrica sales manager who disappeared after going out on a date last week.

Miss Beagley, 32, failed to turn up for work after the Wednesday night meeting with a man whom she had met in a London club.

Before dawn yesterday a body, understood to be that of Miss Beagley, of Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, was found by police at a nature reserve north of London. It was dumped in nettles and had been partially concealed.

After the body was discovered, a 27-year-old man held by police since his arrest on Friday night on suspicion of kidnap was re-arrested on suspicion of murder.

The man, Karl Taylor, from Central London, was last night charged with her murder, a Surrey police spokeswoman said. He will appear at Staines Magistrates’ Court today.

Miss Beagley was last seen by her father on Wednesday shortly before she was due to go out with a man she had met the previous week in the CC night club in the Trocadero in the West End.

The pair are believed to have gone to Richmond, southwest London, and spent time at the Roebuck pub on Richmond Hill, which overlooks a popular beauty spot.

Her father reported her missing on Thursday when she failed to arrive at work and missed a number of appointments.

Forensic science teams were last night continuing to scour the scene at Oxhey Woods, near Watford in Hertfordshire, where the body was found. Formal identification has yet to take place and a post-mortem examination is due to be carried out today.

Superintendent Jerry Westerman, who is leading the inquiry, said: “This was a prearranged date with a man she had met the week before at a nightclub.

“We believe Kate and the man may have called at the Roebuck pub and may have crossed the road to the terrace and park area opposite.

“We are also very keen to hear from anyone who may have seen the couple later in or around Oxhey Woods.”

Mr Westerman added that 50 officers, from the Surrey, Hertfordshire and Metropolitan police forces, were working on the case.

Miss Beagley worked as a sales compliance manager for British Gas, owned by Centrica, her employer for the past ten years.

Her friends, communicating on the social networking website Facebook, posted emotional tributes yesterday. Joanna Poole, from London, wrote: “Kate was a wonderful, funny girl with a kind heart and a quirky sense of humour. We were friends for 21 years and she was a dear friend to many people.

“She was loved so very much and we will miss her. The world is truly a sadder place. She is now at peace.”

Yesterday, before police had found the body, Camilla Corsan, also from London, told of her desperate efforts to find Miss Beagley.

“We have been flyering around most areas, Richmond, Chiswick, Twickenham, Ladbroke Grove, Pimlico, Chelsea, etc,” she wrote.

Overnight, officers found two cars that they believed held clues to the case in Harlesden, northwest London, about 12 miles from where the body was found.

One of the vehicles was Miss Beagley’s grey Volkswagen Golf, which police said had been seen near Chiswick Bridge, West London, at 11.58pm last Wednesday. The second car was a black BMW 3 Series.

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