Missing earl's body found in French Alps

A body found in the French Alps was almost certainly that of an English aristocrat who has been missing for five months, British police said yesterday.

The Earl of Shaftesbury, 66, was last seen in the French resort of Cannes on November 6. His third wife, Jamila M'Barek, and her brother, Mohammed M'Barek, have been placed under investigation for murder, which is one step short of formal charges under French law.

Sussex Police said DNA tests on the decomposed remains had yet to be completed, but a spokesman said they were a formality.