A HUMAN skull found by fishermen in the North Sea has been identified as that of a North-East man who went missing two years ago.

A coroner ruled earlier this year that father-of-two Anthony Kelly, 67, from Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, had committed suicide, even though no body had been found.

Mr Kelly left two suicide notes inside his blood-spattered car, parked near a North Tyneside beach, in November 2000.

Two fishing boats, working in tandem, found the skull in their net 100 miles east of North Shields in May, and reported their find to the Lothian and Borders Police.

Police carried out exhaustive inquiries to establish the identity. Interpol and police forces across the UK were contacted and the skull was sent for DNA profiling, where initial tests indicated the skull was that of a man.

A forensic anthropologist was consulted and he confirmed it was an elderly man and that it had been in the sea between one and two years.

Further tests by the forensic laboratory resulted in an almost full DNA profile being obtained. This was sent to the National DNA Database, in Birmingham, where a match was found with that of Mr Kelly.

Detective Constable Derek Renwick, of Hawick CID, said: "It was a very difficult and exhaustive inquiry to establish the identity and it has now been completed thanks to the exceptional work by our forensic laboratory.

"There was always the possibility the skull would never be identified, but now we can close the case and Mr Kelly's family can put to rest the difficult past two years."

At the inquest, Mr Kelly's wife, Margaret, said he had suffered the agony of arthritis and had become convinced his condition would worsen.

The family were said to be too upset to comment last night.