Edwina Hannaford
Police find body inside house that collapsed after landslide (Edwina Hannaford/Twitter)

Police in Cornwall have found a body inside the house that collapsed in a landslide brought on by heavy rain.

Although formal identification has not taken place, the body is believed to be that of Susan Norman, who was in her 60s and lived on the ground floor of the property in Looe.

Dozens of people were evacuated from the area but Norman was unaccounted for.

The front of the building, which was divided into flats, collapsed following a landslide at the rear of the property. Neighbours said they heard "windows popping" before it collapsed.

Police confirmed they were looking for Norman with the aid of sniffer dogs and geothermal engineers.

"Approximately six other properties in the street have been evacuated as a precaution and the guildhall is being used as a temporary shelter," said police.

"Emergency services later found a body inside the house. That person has yet to be identified."

The southwest has been battered with heavy rain causing the Environment Agency to issue flood warnings for the area.

The severe weather will continue over much of the country for the next few days with up to 60mm of rain in some areas, plus high winds and heavy snow.