A body found on Sunday morning on El Oasis beach in Marbella is believed to be Rebecca Muldoon, the 35-year-old British woman missing since the beginning of the year.

Police sources have confirmed that the body belongs to a woman aged between 35 and 40 and that the physical features and clothing coincide with those of the missing mother-of-two.

Muldoon was reported missing on 2 January when a neighbour told police that the woman's children, eight and eleven, were alone at their Marbella home.

Rebecca's disappearance came after she had reported her partner for domestic violence but then failed to attend court to confirm her allegations. Her partner was in police custody when she disappeared.

Local police, fire and Protección Civil officers were involved in last week's search operation which found no clues to the woman's whereabouts.