A Thai family have come forward to say that a woman believed to have been murdered and dumped in a Yorkshire Dales stream could be their relative, according to reports.

Cold case detectives investigating the mysterious death of the unknown woman, who was found in 2004 near Pen-y-ghent, have confirmed they have received a possible name and inquiries are ongoing.

Her half-naked body was found by walkers on the Pennine Way and investigators believe she may have been killed and transported to the stream, possibly by a 4×4 vehicle.

A cause of death has never been established and a 2007 inquest recorded an open verdict.

North Yorkshire Police handout of the scene where the missing woman's body was found (NYP/PA)
The scene where the woman’s body was found (North Yorkshire Police/PA)

According to the BBC, a press conference in north east Thailand revealed a family had come forward to say the missing woman could be their relative.

They said she married a British man in the 1990s and moved to England and that they had not heard from her since 2004, the report said.

They produced photographs of the missing woman alongside an artist’s impression released by the British police which was published as part of the attempt to trace her.

Last year, North Yorkshire Police said they believed she was a “Thai bride” who came to this country after marrying a local man.

Advanced tests on her hair revealed she lived in north Lancashire or south Cumbria.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “The Cold Case Review Unit has received a name regarding the unknown South East Asian woman who was found dead on Pen-y-Ghent in 2004.

“Inquiries are ongoing to establish the identity of the woman.”

The force appealed for anyone with information to call 101.