The earl was last seen at a hotel in Cannes in early November

Decomposing remains believed to be those of the Dorset earl, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, were found on Tuesday.

The earl, who had homes in Sussex and London, but spent much of his time in France, went missing five months ago.

His third wife, Jamila M'Barek, 37, and her brother, Mohammed M'Barek, 40, are both under investigation for murder.

Signals from his mobile phone allowed police to work out his location as family and friends tried to call him.

But it took a month to locate the body in the difficult terrain.

A post-mortem examination was being carried out on the body in France on Thursday to determine how the earl died.

DNA samples are also being taken to give a formal identification.

The prosecutor for the town of Grasse, situated between Cannes and Nice, said: "DNA samples will be sent away and it is unlikely there will be confirmation of the identity before the end of next week."

The earl has not been seen since leaving this Cannes hotel

Ms M'Barek has allegedly confessed to playing a part in the earl's disappearance.

She is undergoing treatment for depression at a prison hospital in Nice.

French police now fear she could retract what she has told them, claiming she spoke while mentally unfit.

Mohammed M'Barek was arrested on suspicion of murder after being extradited to France from Munich, Germany.

Lawyer for the earl's family, Philippe Soussi, said they were relieved the body had been found.

"They are also very upset, especially when they hear the conditions the body was dumped in - absolutely terrible conditions," he said.