THE BODY OF British hiker Esther Dingley, who went missing in the Pyrenees, has been found by her partner close to where a bone was discovered two weeks ago.

Dingley, 37, had been walking solo in the mountains near the Spanish and French border and was last seen on November 22.

The LBT Global charity, an overseas crisis organisation, said her body and equipment were found together by Daniel Colegate yesterday afternoon.

A statement said: “A team of forensic specialists along with mountain rescue personnel were dispatched to the site in order to catalogue the scene and recover Esther.

“At this stage an accident is the most likely hypothesis, given the location and other early indications. A full investigation is under way to confirm the details surrounding this tragedy.

“The family remain incredibly grateful for the efforts of the police units involved and their commitment to understanding the exact circumstances of Esther’s death.

“LBT Global are supporting Daniel and Esther’s mother, Ria, as they come to terms with this news.”

It comes after a single bone was found nearby last month, which DNA testing later confirmed was part of the missing woman’s remains.

Colegate and Dingley met at Oxford University and lived in Durham before they set off travelling around Europe in a camper van six years ago.