The vehicle was winched out of the disused Dorothea Quarry in the Nantlle Valley, Gwynedd, on Saturday evening.

The car was winched to the surface of the water

The emergency services were alerted after wheel tracks leading to the water's edge were found.

North Wales Police said a person had been reported missing.

Police divers were able to gain entry to the car after it was hauled to the surface by staff from a nearby garage

The body was removed and taken to the shore where a waiting doctor certified death.

It was not possible to recover the vehicle, which was allowed to sink again.

No formal identification has yet been made but the car's registration number is thought to correspond with that involved in a missing persons enquiry.

The quarry has seen a number of fatalities

The quarry, which is up to 300m deep in places with a network of flooded tunnels and sheer drops, is a favourite training location for amateur divers.

But its icy waters have claimed five lives in the past year and around 20 in the last 10 years, with scores more divers needing to be rescued.

There are long-term plans to turn the quarry into a proper sub-aqua centre but, in the meantime, the owner has warned divers to stay away.