Body found in hunt for woman

The body of a young woman has been discovered floating in the sea off the coast of the Isle of Wight more than a week after Black Country barmaid Heather Harris went missing.

Parents of Miss Harris, of Stourbridge, said today they are "99 per cent sure" the body is that of their missing 20-year-old daughter.

The family believe they may discover later today if the woman found is Heather although police said a formal identification and post-mortem examination are not expected to be carried out until next week.

The body was spotted by a passenger on board a cross Channel ferry at Bembridge Ledge just after 4pm yesterday afternoon.The coastguard was alerted and the body was pulled from the sea by Bembridge lifeboat.

Heather's father, Nick, said the family, who live in Woodfield Avenue, Woolescote, feared the worst.

"Nothing's been confirmed yet, but we're 99 per cent sure it's her now," he said.

Heather, aged 20, and Richard Perry, 28, from Brierley Hill, fell overboard from their rigid inflatable boat on July 18. The body of Mr Perry was found nearby, but coastguards failed to find the body of Miss Harris.