Dutch forensic experts in Hilversum have now investigated 150 complete bodies and 300 body parts, the Malaysian public health minister told state press agency Bernama on Wednesday.

The remains are those of the 298 passengers on Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 which crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17.

So far 228 coffins containing human remains have been flown from Charkov in Ukraine to Eindhoven and then taken to Hilversum.

Identification

Earlier on Wednesday, a Newcastle United fan killed when the plane came down, was formally identified to his family. The 28-year-old Liam Sweeney was on his way to New Zealand to see his team play.

He was travelling with 63-year-old John Adler who has not yet been identified.

Sweeney is the third of the victims to be identified, following two Dutch nationals.

There were 196 Dutch and ten Britons among the dead.

Search

The team of investigators, which includes Dutch, Australian and Malaysian forensic experts, was at the crash site again on Wednesday, the sixth day in succession.

Dutch media report that they have found some personal possessions but no human remains over the past six days. This could be because local people in the search area gathered up everything shortly after the crash, reports say.

Complaint

Meanwhile, police trade unions complain that regular forensic work is being postponed because of the investigation into the MH17 crash, the Volkskrant reports.

Around 840 Dutch police agents are working on the investigation, bringing delays in forensic work following break-ins and attacks.

The unions say the police were already short-handed because of the summer holiday and extra agents needed for the Gaza and ISIS demonstrations.