Detectives investigating the murder of a young woman after the discovery of a body on the Queen's Norfolk estate have today formally identified the victim as teenager Alisa Dmitrijeva.

The murdered body was found by a dog walker on New Year's Day less than two miles from Sandringham House, where the Royal Family have been spending their Christmas break.

After unsuccessful tests to obtain a full DNA profile, identification of the victim was made by comparing detail from her palm with records held which have been further verified by DNA from her femur.

Following the launch of the murder inquiry, police never ruled out the possibility that the body found could be of the 17-year-old, who was last seen in King's Lynn on August 31.

Today Detective Chief Inspector Jes Fry, senior investigating officer with the Norfolk and Suffolk major investigation team, said: 'Family Liasion Officers were sent to meet with close family [yesterday] morning to provide the update.

'I shall now be liaising with officers from Cambridgeshire who have been working on trying to locate Alisa in recent months as a missing person. The information they provide will give me and the team an extra focus to the enquiry.

'I should also add we are still trying to establish any activity which took place on or around the site during the time frame of the end of August to the end of September 2011.

'We would like to identify people who may have worked in that area or were involved in organising or running any specific events that may have taken place.'

In a statement, Miss Dmitrijeva's family added: 'We are devastated by the news of Alisa's death. We wish to grieve in private.'

The identification comes after Miss Dmitrijeva's grandmother Lidija Nesterova spoke of the stress placed on her family amid constant international speculation the body belonged to her granddaughter.

The teenager's Latvian mother Anzela Dmitrijeva has also revealed her guilt over her daughter's disappearance after moving Britain to seek a better life, with her family following later.

She said she blames herself for leaving her daughter in Latvia as it led to rows which she believes could have contributed to her daughter's disappearance.

Miss Dmitrijeva had shared a rented semi-detached house in Wisbech with her grandmother, her father Olegs 40, and Viktorija, her 10-year-old sister. Her mother also lived nearby.

Originally from Riga, Miss Dmitrijeva is believed to have arrived in England two years ago when her father and sister came to live with her grandmother.

Miss Dmitrijeva had shared a rented semi-detached house in Wisbech with her grandmother, her father Olegs 40, and Viktorija, her 10-year-old sister. Her mother also lived nearby.

Cambridgeshire police launched an appeal to find Miss Dmitrijeva after she was reported missing on September 6. She was last seen in King's Lynn on August 31.

Detectives said the teenager had links in Lincolnshire and Peterborough and that it was not unusual for her to stay away from home for several days, but she had always previously stayed in touch with her family.

She had also been due to enrol for a new course on September 1 at the College of West Anglia.

Following Miss Dmitrijeva's disappearance, there were a number of unconfirmed sightings and police offered a �5,000 reward for information on her whereabouts.

Detectives also put out an appeal for information regarding the movements of a P-registered green Lexus GS300 car in connection with her disappearance and created an advert on social network website Facebook targeted at people living in Wisbech, Norfolk and Lincolnshire.

The advertisement was created in English, Latvian and Lithuanian.

Anyone with any information relating to the incident should contact the Joint Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team at Norfolk Constabulary on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.