The dismembered hand of a missing Scottish tourist has been discovered in the stomach of a tiger shark caught off the coast of Reunion Island.

The 44-year-old man disappeared while snorkelling in Hermitage Lagoon on Saturday.

He is believed to have been on a week-long holiday with his wife in Saint-Gilles and his remains were identified by his wedding ring, according to a local television channel.

The shark was among several caught in the Indian Ocean for research purposes on Monday and Tuesday. It was just over four miles from the lagoon where the victim, a strong swimmer, was last seen.

A post-mortem examination has yet to take place, and it is not known whether the tourist drowned and was subsequently eaten by the shark, or whether he was attacked by it.

A source told The Sun the man had been in the Hermitage Lagoon alone on Saturday, adding: "When he did not get back, his wife sounded the alarm, and a full search was launched, involving boats and a helicopter.