THE North-East historian who played a leading role in discovering the long-lost remains of Richard III is now attempting to crack one of the biggest mysteries in British history.

Regarded as one of the greatest historical discoveries of modern times, the grave of the Plantagenet King was found beneath a car park in Leicester three years ago this week.

Historian and screenwriter Philippa Langley, who grew up in Darlington and regards it as her home town, was a key figure in the discovery of the remains and their subsequent exhumation and reburial.

A national newspaper revealed at the weekend that Ms Langley's next project will be to tackle the mystery of the two Princes in the Tower.

Historians have assumed that, in order to take the throne for himself, Richard III killed his nephews after the death of their father, Edward IV, in 1483.

Aged just 12, Edward V was taken to the Tower of London expecting to be crowned king.

He and his nine-year-old brother Richard of Shrewsbury, the Duke of York, were never seen again and assumed to have been murdered.

Although he is considered prime suspect, evidence linking Richard III to the princes' disappearances is circumstantial.

The announcement of Ms Langley's latest project was timed to coincide with celebrations marking the 530th anniversary of the Battle of Bosworth, the last major battle of the War of the Roses, in which Richard III lost his life.

Ms Langley told the Independent: "I have three lines of investigation – two that have never been investigated before.

"There are a couple of European lines of inquiry that are looking very interesting.

"We now have this incredible network of specialists around the world who are willing, ready and able to start new research into the princes.

"They just need to be told when, where and how and they're ready to get on with it.

"This is a pure research project and it's exciting in that we can go into it with a focus on this particular mystery.

"I'll be using cold-case history specialists, because this projects needs to go in places it has never gone before."

Ms Langley and her team will compile a research document in the coming weeks, before the official start of the investigation.