Remains of ferry passenger found

Remains of ferry passenger found

The Queen of Scandanavia sails between Tyneside and Holland

Dutch fishermen have discovered the skull of a missing British woman.

Tests have revealed the remains are those of Tanya Little, 40, of Kenton, Newcastle, who fell from a North Sea ferry in September 2002.

Dutch forensic experts used a hairbrush and a toothbrush to find traces of Ms Little's DNA.

Ms Little fell 60 feet overboard from the Queen of Scandinavia ferry, about 55 miles north east of Cromer, Norfolk, on September 4, 2002.

The DFDS-operated vessel, on its way from North Shields to Holland, was helped in the search for Ms Little by RAF helicopters and coastguard.

Willem Grootendorst, of the Dutch Missing Persons Bureau, said: "The remains were found almost exactly in the place where she went over board, about 70 miles off Ijmuiden.

"There was only one woman missing where it was found and that was Tanya.

"We got a DNA match about two weeks ago using a toothbrush and a hairbrush that Tanya had left on the ferry when she went overboard."