POLICE have made a fresh appeal for help to identify a woman found dead in a stream a year ago today.

The woman's body was discovered by walkers beside the Pennine Way, near Horton-in-Ribblesdale, in the Yorkshire Dales.

Experts believe the victim was from an area of Asia that includes China, Korea and the Philippines.

Detective Inspector Pete Martin, who has been leading the investigation, said: "Our inquiries have spread right across the world using police forces, the media, foreign embassies and missing persons organisations.

"We even enlisted the help of one of our officers who has been working in Thailand in the wake of the tsunami disaster, but, despite all our best efforts, we are still no closer to identifying her."

A post-mortem examination suggested the woman had been dead at least a week, but no longer than three weeks. This puts her death between August 31 and September 13, last year. The cause of death has not been established.

Police have made an appeal on Asian television and in London's China Town.

Four possibilities from the national missing persons helpline were explored, but three have so far been eliminated.

Experts who have helped with the inquiry include an anthropologist, who advised on ethnicity, age and aspects of upbringing, an odontologist, who examined the woman's teeth, and an entomologist, who helped determined when the woman died.

Det Insp Martin said: "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.

"We owe it to her to find her name and to notify her family."

The woman is described as aged between 20 and 40, 4ft 11in and about ten stone. Her hair is dark brown and shoulder-length.

She was wearing green Marks and Spencer jeans, size 12, light-coloured socks, a white bra and black pants size 10-12. A turquoise and white horizontally striped tee-shirt, size 10-12, was found near her body.

She was wearing a gold ring on the third finger of her left hand and is thought to have been a non-smoker.

Anyone who can help identify the woman is urged to call police on (0845) 6060247.