'Thai bride' body found on Yorkshire Dales in 2004 identified Published duration 19 March 2019

image copyright Family photo/DONLAWAT SUNSUK image caption Lamduan Armitage, nee Seekanya, was last seen by her family in 2004

A woman whose body was found in the Yorkshire Dales 15 years ago has been identified, police have confirmed.

North Yorkshire Police said the woman who was found near Pen-y-ghent in 2004 was Lamduan Armitage, nee Seekanya.

She moved to the UK in 1991 after marrying her husband David Armitage in Thailand, and lived in Portsmouth, Rugby and Preston.

Officers investigating Ms Armitage's death want to speak to anyone who may have known her or her family.

Mr Armitage has said he was not involved in his wife's death, according to The Sun

The force carried out extensive inquiries and DNA testing with family members in Thailand in order to confirm Ms Armitage's identity.

image copyright Family photo image caption Ms Armitage lived with her husband David in Portsmouth, Rugby and Preston between 1991 and 2004

Officers said in a statement they were continuing to "build a picture of Lamduan's life in Thailand and at various places she lived in the UK between 1991 and 2004".

"It is also understood that Lamduan visited Thailand at some point between 2003 and 2004, but it is not known which part of the country she went to," they added.

The force is looking to interview members of Ms Armitage's family and carry out further inquiries in Thailand in due course.

image copyright Richard Hill image caption When Richard Hill posed for this picture, he did not realise Lamduan Armitage's body was wrapped around the rocks behind him

A woman's half-naked body was found face down in a stream by walkers on 20 September 2004.

She was found more than a mile (2km) from the nearest road and was wearing only green jeans, socks and a gold wedding band.

However, police were unable to identify her and she became known as The Lady of the Hills.

A cold case review, launched in 2016, concluded she was aged between 25 and 35 and originally from south-east Asia.

image copyright North Yorkshire Police image caption Cold case investigators released an artist's impression of the woman found near Pen-y-ghent

Investigators also found evidence she had been living in north Lancashire or south Cumbria, with detectives suggesting she could have been a "Thai bride".

Speaking in October, Adam Harland, manager of the North Yorkshire and Cleveland Police cold case review team, said: "[It is possible] she is a lady who has taken up a relationship with a white gentleman, and come back to the UK."

Mr Harland said it was likely she had been killed and brought to the location in Ribblesdale in a 4x4.

image copyright DONLAWAT SUNSUK/BBC THAI image caption Buasa and Joomsri Seekanya said they had not heard from their daughter since 2004

In January, Buasa and Joomsri Seekanya came forward to say they believed the woman was their daughter Lamduan.

The family, from Udon Thani in north-east Thailand, said they had not heard from her since 2004.

Mrs Seekanya said at the time: "A part of me hopes that it's not my daughter - I want her to come back alive. But if it's really her, I can finally sleep at night."