Newcastle United fan John Alder died on board plane flying over Ukraine while travelling to New Zealand

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

The body of a second British football fan who was killed when a Malaysia Airlines jet was shot down over Ukraine has been identified, the Foreign Office has said.

The Newcastle United fan John Alder, 63, was among the 298 people on board flight MH17, which is believed to have been shot down by pro-Russia separatists five weeks ago.

Alder was travelling to New Zealand with his friend Liam Sweeney, 28, to watch their team play pre-season friendlies.

Sweeney's remains were identified and during his funeral service in Newcastle on 21 August his family expressed the wish that Alder's body could also soon be recovered and brought back to the UK. The identification of Alder's remains has now been completed in the Netherlands.

Another eight Britons were killed in the disaster.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Service spokeswoman said: "We can confirm the positive identification of another British victim of flight MH17, John Alder.

"The family have been informed and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

"We continue to provide consular assistance to the family."

The confirmation came on the day that Newcastle United opened a garden of remembrance outside St James' Park for the two super supporters – and all other fans who have died.

The club's managing director, Lee Charnley, said: "The loss of John and Liam was truly devastating news. Both men were dedicated supporters of our club and were known to thousands of fans and staff alike."