Police seeking missing Lucie find head

Police searching for missing Briton Lucie Blackman have found a head encased in concrete near Tokyo.

A torso, hand and feet have also been found buried in a cave on a beach near the city. Police have not yet linked today's discovery to Lucie.

Investigators have been looking for her since July, when she disappeared after telling a friend she was going on a drive with a client.

One body part, believed to be the victim's head, was encased in concrete, said a Tokyo metropolitan police spokeswoman. The skin had decomposed, making identification difficult, she said.

Lucie's father, Tim Blackman, said Japanese police had told him of the discovery.

"They have told us that something has been found but they haven't been able to confirm who it is," he said from his home on the Isle of Wight.

The remains were found near the seaside apartment of a businessman who was arrested in October.

Joji Obara, 48, has been charged with raping four women since 1996 after inviting them to his condominium and incapacitating them with drugs. He has yet to be charged in relation to Lucie, however.

A police spokeswoman said the unearthed body parts first included a hand and a pair of feet. The head and the torso were found later. The remains were taken to Tokyo for identification, which was expected tomorrow.

In a statement provided to the media by his lawyer after his arrest, Obara said he met Lucie only once at a bar but denied responsibility for her disappearance.

At his first court appearance on December 14, he pleaded innocent to raping the Canadian hostess in 1996 and the British hostess in 1997. He has yet to stand trial for the other two rape charges.