Dr Matthew Choyce, a senior registrar at the Sunderland Royal Hospital, disappeared almost 12 years ago.

The 33-year-old, who had recently learnt that his wife was pregnant, was last seen leaving the family home in Heaton, Newcastle, in the early hours of October 5, 1997.

It was understood the Eton and Oxford-educated casualty doctor had been under stress as he considered becoming a consultant.

See previous stories about the appeal to find out more information on the mystery skull found by the Whitby skipper

Later that morning, his grey Renault car was found on the seafront at Tynemouth.

Inside was a "rambling note", which did not indicate he might kill himself, along with his credit card, passport and driving licence.

His wife, Dr Jane Noble, launched a campaign to find her husband through media appeals and made frequent visits to soup kitchens and homeless associations across the country.

But the search proved unsuccessful and she formally announced her husband's death in 2006.

Now police in North Yorkshire are to re-examine the case after a human skull was caught in the net of Whitby fishing trawler Christina back in February last year.

Skipper Mike Besenyei and his crew were left stunned after they found the skull among their catch while trawling off Hartlepool.

As reported in last Tuesday's Whitby Gazette with the help of a forensic anthropologist, a facial reconstruction has been produced and police hope someone may recognise the man from the digital images.

North Yorkshire Police have confirmed the appeal has now been extended to forces bordering the North Sea, including Northumbria and County Durham.