More than 200,000 people died in the tsunami on 26 December 2004
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British police have ended their involvement in the international effort to identify victims of the Asian tsunami of 2004.
After 14 months, their commander will officially hand over duties to the Royal Thai police.
Of more than 200,000 people killed in the 26 December tsunami, 151 Britons died, including six still missing.
More than 700 staff from 40 police forces were sent overseas for Operation Bracknell, the police tsunami response.
They were deployed overseas from 30 December, 2004, in support of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and HM Coroner.
During their time in Thailand, they identified more than 3,000 victims, and helped with body recovery, repatriation of victims and investigations into victims' last-known movements.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Yates of the Metropolitan Police, who will mark the last day of work for international personnel at a ceremony in Bangkok, praised the police efforts but said the end of the operation was "tinged with sadness".
"Despite all our efforts, we have been unable yet to identify six of the UK's 151 victims.
"We are not in a position to confirm that their bodies are not among the 682 that remain unidentified, but the increasing likelihood is that their bodies were not recovered," Mr Yates said.
Identification data from the six victims, such as fingerprints, dental records and DNA, was still being checked against the database of unidentified bodies in Thailand.
International co-operation
It would continue until the bodies were found or it was concluded that they were not among the remaining bodies.
A further 1,900 staff were deployed across the UK in roles including Casualty Bureau, Family Liaison Officers and support to HM Coroner.
The UK police were part of a 3,000-strong international operation in the aftermath of the tsunami.
The identification and recovery effort was the largest international co-operation of police forces, involving 31 countries.
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Despite all our efforts, we have been unable yet to identify six of the UK's 151 victims
