Esther Dingley: Missing hiker's body retrieved by police

Esther Dingley sent this selfie at the top of a mountain on 22 November

French Police have retrieved the body and belongings of a British hiker found by her boyfriend months after she went missing in the Pyrenees.

Esther Dingley, from Durham, vanished on a solo trek in November sparking major searches by French and Spanish police and her partner Daniel Colegate.

A bone found by a hiker in July was confirmed to be hers and Mr Colegate found the other remains on Monday.

An accident has been said to be "the most likely hypothesis".

Sources close to the investigation have confirmed to the BBC's Chris Bockman in Toulouse that human remains and hiking material were retrieved from a site in the Pyrenees and taken to the French city to be examined.

Forensic experts, who handle both criminal and accidental deaths, were led to the site by Mr Colegate, who has walked hundreds of miles in the search for Ms Dingley.

LBT Global, a charity which is supporting Ms Dingley's family, said her death had been most likely caused by an accident "given the location and other early indications".

Daniel Colegate and Esther Dingley were on an open-ended campervan tour of Europe

Ms Dingley, who was an experienced hiker, was trekking alone when she last communicated with her partner from the top of Pic De Sauvegarde at about 16:00 on 22 November.

Mr Colegate, who was staying 100 miles away in a French farmhouse, raised the alarm several days later when she failed to report in at an agreed time.

The couple were on an open-ended campervan tour of Europe and Ms Dingley was on the final walk of a month-long solo expedition when she vanished.

Ms Dingley was on the final walk of a month-long solo expedition when she vanished