A woman whose husband went missing over eight years ago says she can finally "rest easy" after his remains were found beneath a motorway flyover.

Vicki Derrick, from Castle Donington, said she had endured the toughest years of her life following the disappearance of her husband Vinny in 2003 after a night out with friends in Manchester.

Police said yesterday that human remains had been found by workers beneath a flyover where the M60 crosses the A34, near Stockport, on Wednesday.

The remains have now been identified as those of 28-year-old Vinny through dental records.

At a press conference following the announcement, Mrs Derrick said: "I was never going to be satisfied until Vinny was found. I was never going to give up."

Greater Manchester Police said it was not yet known how Vinny died or how he came to be in the location in which he was found.

The flyover is about six miles from the centre of Manchester.

It was also not known if there were any suspicious circumstances, the force said. Officers are continuing to examine the scene.

Mrs Derrick, who has a son, Louis, with Vinny, said: "I keep saying whatever happened happened on that night.

"I can now rest easy with the fact I have always believed that.

"There are lots of questions that I have and I am waiting to be answered.

"The past eight years have been the toughest eight years of my life.

"Vinny was loved by so many people and I have so many memories that I will treasure forever."

Ray Wood, 45, from Castle Donington, was best man at Vinny and Vicki's wedding.

He said: "I grew up with Vinny. We played for the same football teams and lived in the same street.

"He was a great bloke, always joking about, which is why everyone liked him so much.

"I spoke to his mum a few months ago and even after all this time she was still thinking 'Is this him?' every time the doorbell rang.

"I hope this gives her some closure."

Mrs Derrick's mother, Dawn Kelsall, said that the discovery of Vinny's remains had brought the family some relief, but it was still "very, very hard".

She said: "Yes, we have wanted this answer for a long time but it was such a shock. It came out of the blue. You are going about your normal life and it was such a shock.

"It is just like it was eight years ago – just as hard.

"There is not a week that goes by, in the eight years that we have gone through that you don't think 'is something going to come up? I wish they'd find him'.

"It is just such a shock now at how they have found him."

A spokesman for the police said the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the body formed part of the investigation and could not be revealed in detail.

However, he said: "At this stage it doesn't appear as if the remains were buried."

A Facebook page called Missing – Vincent 'Vinny' Derrick, originally set up to gather information as to his whereabouts, has now become a forum for tributes.

Writing on the site, Chantelle Worsley said: "Thinking of you all at this sad time. I'm so sorry for your loss but glad that Vinny has finally been found and can be laid to rest. Rest in peace Vinny, I'll never forget your cheeky face."

The area where Vinny's remains were found remained cordoned off while forensic investigators examined the scene.

Detective Chief Inspector Sara Wallwork, of Stockport CID, said: "Vinny's family have spent more than eight painful years wondering what happened to him and we have specially trained officers supporting them at this difficult time.

"I am aware that they will have many more questions that need answering and we will work as quickly as we can to provide them.

"We need to establish how Vinny died and came to be at the location.

"These are difficult and complex inquiries and I want to stress that while we will carry these out as quickly as possible, it could take some time."