In a delicate operation that could take all day, investigators are trying to retrieve the body - which has not been identified - without damaging any evidence at the scene, said BBC reporter Richard Greenaway.

BBC: Body of woman found in hunt for Joanna Yeates

"It is a very delicate operation, " says Stefania Giudice, one of the preservers working here.

BBC: Pompeii's frozen victims on display

Mr Margetts said it was a very "delicate" operation as care had to be taken not to damage the mine's structure.

BBC: Welsh mine rescue: Third Gleision miner found dead

Divers brought it to the surface and then took it to a spot off Kent, during a "delicate" seven-hour operation.

BBC: Huge explosion as experts detonate large WWII mine