Missing woman's body found

Mrs Lund lived in a village near Toulouse

A badly decomposed body found inside a car in a French reservoir is thought to be that of a missing British woman.

Evelyn Lund, 52, who was living in France but originally from Lancashire, disappeared on 29 December 1999.

Her husband, Peter, reported her missing from their converted barn in the remote village of Rayssac, near Toulouse, three days later.

Police discovered Mrs Lund's red Toyota Land Cruiser by chance on Sunday, after a 10 metre drop in the water level at the reservoir in the Tarn region.

The answer as to whether or not this was an accident remains to be established

James Rawlinson, British Consul

Mrs Lund moved from Darwen to the 75-acre estate in south-west France after the couple married in 1994.

She had gone to visit friends in a town 30 miles away when she disappeared.

It was not until New Year's Day that she was reported missing to police.

Since then, 225 lakes and reservoirs have been searched by divers, including the reservoir where her car was discovered.

Police are expected to use DNA testing to confirm the identity of the body.

'Strong probability'

James Rawlinson, the British Consul General in Bordeaux, said: "The police say that the vehicle has been identified as that belonging to Mrs Lund.

"There is a strong probability that [the body] is Mrs Lund."

During their investigation, police found no indication as to what happened to Mrs Lund.

Mr Rawlinson added: "They never had any reason to give up hope that Mrs Lund or her vehicle would be discovered.

Fingertip search

"The police haven't stopped their investigation ever since she went missing.

"The answer as to whether or not this was an accident remains to be established."

Mr Lund, 48, was interviewed for 25 hours by French police investigating her disappearance.

Police also conducted a search of the couple's estate.

Officers heading the investigation have also travelled across the channel to interview her three daughters and friends.