The husband of award-winning make-up artist Diane Chenery-Wickens has appeared in court charged with her murder.

David Chenery-Wickens, 51, from Duddleswell, East Sussex, was charged with murder last night after Mrs Chenery-Wickens' remains were found in the village of Little Horsted, near Uckfield, East Sussex, just before 10am on Thursday.

Dressed in a baggy brown jumper, he spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth at Hastings Magistrates' Court.

Chenery-Wickens was remanded in custody following the brief hearing.

Mrs Chenery-Wickens, 48, had been missing for four months before her remains were found by a woman walking her dog.

A post-mortem examination was carried out at 6pm last night and dental records were used to identify the body. The cause of death is yet to be established.

Mrs Chenery-Wickens, who worked on Dead Ringers, The League Of Gentlemen and Casualty, was reported missing by her husband on January 24 after she failed to attend a meeting.

She won a prestigious Emmy award in 2000 for her work on Arabian Nights.

In 2003 she was nominated for a Bafta in the make-up and hair design category for her work on Dead Ringers, missing out to an artist on Little Britain.

Dead Ringers impressionist Jon Culshaw made a televised appeal for help in finding Mrs Chenery-Wickens days after she went missing.