A body found in France could belong to one of two Scottish sailors killed fighting in the First World War.

Able seamen James Robertson and Andrew Irvine both lost their lives in the Battle of Gavrelle on April 28, 1917.

Their bodies were never recovered and they are commemorated on the Arras Memorial along with 35,000 others who have no grave.

However, the Ministry of Defence now believes remains discovered near the town of Gavrelle may belong to one of the two young sailors.

Nicola Nash, from the MoD's Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre, said: "Extensive research has managed to narrow our search down to just two sailors, so there should be a very good chance of identifying him. He is to be buried in France in July.

"Rather than bury him as an unknown sailor, I would love to be able to confirm an identity so that his headstone may bear his name."

The MoD has appealed to relatives of the pair to get in touch and undergo a DNA test to confirm whether the remains are theirs.

Ms Nash added: "There are still so many thousands of men lost in the Great War who have no known grave.

"To be able to identify just one of them takes a huge amount of research.

"Most importantly, it brings their individual story to an end and fills in the gaps in their family history."

Mr Robertson, who was born in Aberdeen in 1891, and Mr Irvine, born three years later in Glasgow, both joined the Royal Naval Division at the outset of the First World War.

Mr Robertson initially served with the Hood Battalion, fighting in Gallipoli and France. After recovering from a combat wound he was drafted into the Anson Battalion in January 1917, along with Mr Irvine.