British tourist's severed hand found inside tiger shark off Reunion Island

A British tourist is believed to have been eaten by a shark after his hand complete with wedding ring was found in its stomach.

The severed hand of the 44-year-old Scottish man was found inside a tiger shark after it was killed off France’s Reunion Island.

The shark was killed as it had been swimming near the beaches on the island, which is notorious for shark attacks.

According to reports, the hand was wearing a ring which the man’s wife confirmed was her husband’s.

The man was reportedly holidaying with his wife and went for a swim in the Hermitage Lagoon off Saint-Gilles but never came back, prompting her to raise the alarm.

A huge search operation ensued on both sea and land but the man couldn’t be found - until the hand was found in the tiger shark.

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It is not know whether the shark killed him or he drowned and was later eaten by it.

Reunion Island, which is 175km east of Madagascar, is notorious for shark attacks.

Many of its beaches don’t allow swimming but tourists often ignore the bans.