THE husband of an East Lancashire woman Evelyn Lund has appealed for the authorities to give him back her body -- one year after she was found in a French lake.

Robert Lund spoke as it was revealed police had seized his wife's will from him as part of the investigation into her death.

Mrs Lund was discovered on the back seat of her red Toyota Landcruiser after the water level dropped dramatically at the lake near to the farmhouse the couple shared in Raysaac, in the south west of France.

The 53-year-old, formerly of Winter Hill, Darwen, had been missing since December 1999, after a trip to a friend's house.

Her disappearance sparked a murder investigation involving officers from France and Lancashire.

Speaking on the first anniversary of her body being found, husband Robert said the French authorities had still not released his wife's body and he accused them of keeping him in the dark.

The 50-year-old former Blackburn with Darwen Council tree surgeon said Lancashire Police still had his wife's will after seizing it from him in July as evidence for the investigation.

Mr Lund, who still lives in the French farmhouse, said: "I think there is some sort of conspiracy against me.

"I try to get information but I don't get any response. My letters are not replied to and when I telephone I never get through to the right person.

"I don't even know where my wife's body is and I am her husband. For some reason I am being singled out for persecution and it is like psychological torture."

French authorities will not release the body until a cause of death is given.

It took DNA experts more than a month to formally identify the badly decomposed body as that of Mrs Lund and tests are still going on to reveal what killed her.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said the inquiry was continuing.

She said: "We are working closely with the French authorities and the judicial inquires are continuing. We cannot intervene in their investigations."

Following the disappearance of his wife, French police hauled Mr Lund in for questioning, treating him -- he freely admits -- as the prime suspect.

But he strenuously denies any involvement.

He said: "There is not one shred of evidence to connect me with Evelyn's death.

"I hope we can have a conclusion to this dreadful accident."

Mr Lund said that after finally securing his wife's will, following a battle with the authorities, it was taken away by Lancashire Police.

A spokesman for the police today confirmed: "We did seize the will from Mr Lund as evidence as part of the ongoing investigation into the death of Evelyn Lund.

"We have received a request from Mr Lund's solicitor for it to be returned, which will happen in due course."

A spokesman for the French police said the investigation was continuing but could not comment further.