The body of a British woman hiker who had been missing for five days has been found in New Zealand.

Keen photographer Elizabeth Thomson, 55, from Kent, disappeared on Saturday while out walking alone in Arthur's Pass National Park on South Island.

New Zealand Police said the body was discovered at 2.30pm local time (0130 GMT) on Thursday by a search team in the Grahams Stream area of the park. It appeared to have been there for several days.

Sergeant Peter Summerfield said: "Search teams are being withdrawn and the operation concluded. We are very saddened with this result."

He added that Mrs Thomson's son and daughter had arrived from the UK and had been informed.

Sgt Summerfield said David and Alexandra Thomson had joined more than 30 police and civilian searchers in scouring the area.

The alarm was raised on Saturday when her backpack was found and staff checked her room at the Arthur's Pass Youth Hostel.

The backpack, including her car keys and an empty sandwich bag, was found by searchers on the Mount Aicken track more than 1,676m (5,500 ft) above sea level, but her two cameras were missing.

Search-and-rescue teams including dogs and alpine cliff rescue specialists searched the remote area, which was described by police as "very rugged and dangerous" with a lot of ravines and gorges. They were also hampered by rain and high winds.

A report on Mrs Thomson's death has been referred to the Christchurch Coroner.