The father of a teenage mother whose skeletal remains were found in woodland will appear in court today charged with perverting the course of justice in connection with the investigation into her murder.

Children playing in Redgeland Wood in the Queensway area of St Leonards, found a human skull last October.

Further remains were later found around the woodland scene and medical records were used to identify them as those of 19-year-old Victoria Couchman.

Her father, Tony Couchman, 45, of Beecham Place, St Leonards, was remanded in custody after being charged last night and will appear at Hastings Magistrates' Court this morning, Sussex Police said.

It was originally thought the remains had lain in the woods, near the Wishing Tree Reservoir, for up to 10 years.

But following the further discoveries, police revised their estimate and said they believed Ms Couchman, a single mother who lived with her father about a mile from the woodland, went missing some time last May.

Messages of condolence were left on the social networking website Bebo, where Ms Couchman wrote a poignant motto urging people to “live life to the full”.