THE final chapter of a tragedy that spread across the globe will be heard in a North Yorkshire courtroom today.

An inquest is finally to be held on a woman whose body was found in a stream in the Yorkshire Dales nearly three years ago.

But despite a huge international investigation, she will go to her grave unnamed - unless someone finally comes forward who can identify her.

The woman originated from an area of Asia that includes China, Korea, Thailand and the Philippines and the police file on her death remains open.

However, after today's inquest in Skipton, her remains are expected to be turned over to the local authority for disposal.

Detective Inspector Pete Martin said: "Our efforts to put a name to this poor woman have spanned the world and will continue, but this could be our last chance to appeal for help in identifying her.

"Someone must know who this woman is and I believe there may well be someone who knows she is missing. All they have to do is call us."

He added: "We owe it to her to find her name and to notify her family. She must have a family, friends, perhaps a partner - maybe even a child - and we need to find them."

The body was found on September 20, 2004 by walkers on the Pennine Way between Pen-y-ghent towards Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

They had stopped near Sell Gill Pot when they saw the body nearby. It is thought it had been washed down by a stream.

A post-mortem examination estimated her death between August 31 and September 13, but the cause of death was not clear.

She was between 20 and 40, 4ft 11ins and weighed about ten stones.

Police consulted a series of different experts and contacted every other force in the country. Foreign embassies were contacted and appeals made throughout Far East.

Det Insp Martin said: "This investigation has gone from the Yorkshire Dales to halfway round the world and we have learned so much about this lady - and yet we still cannot tell how she came to be up on the hill-side, how she met her end and, most poignant of all, just who she was."