Japanese police have confrimed that the body found in a seaside cave yesterday is that of missing British bar hostess Lucie Blackman.
Police first found feet, a hand and a section of leg in the cave on a beach at Miura, at the mouth of Tokyo Bay and near to the seaside home of a businessman accused of having drugged and raped four women, including a Canadian hostess and another Briton.
They later discovered what was believed to be a head encased in concrete and took all the remains to Tokyo for identification. No clothing or jewellery was found and the body was reported to have been cut into eight sections.
The former British Airways worker disappeared from Tokyo on July 1st last year after telling a friend she was going for a drive to the ocean with a male client.
In October Japanese police arrested wealthy businessman Mr Joji Obara, who now faces charges of having drugged and raped four women since 1996 after inviting them to his Miura apartment.
Mr Obara, 48, has claimed he met Lucie only once at a bar and has denied any responsibility for her disappearance.
At his first court appearance on December 14th, Mr Obara pleaded not guilty to raping a Canadian hostess in 1996 and a British hostess in 1997. He has yet to stand trial for the other two rape charges and has not been charged in connection with Lucie's disappearance.