Police team to help tsunami aid

The team will help out in Phuket for two weeks

A team of specialist police officers are travelling to Thailand to help with the ongoing effort to identify victims of the Asian tsunami.

The 15-strong group of Thames Valley officers includes members of the police search and recovery team.

They will work for two weeks with international relief agencies at temporary mortuary sites in Phuket, identifying and repatriating victims.

The first of the team will travel out to Asia on Tuesday.

Det Insp Kevin Rowe, who will act as Temporary Mortuary Manager, said: "This will be a tremendous challenge to all the personnel taking part and each team member brings a high level of expertise with them.

"They will be working in very difficult conditions in a stressful environment and I am confident that the work they do will be thorough and effective, hopefully bringing some relief to those bereaved by this terrible disaster."