TWO teachers from a special education centre in Kent are missing after giant waves struck Thailand.

Hannah Tugwell and Jo Lee, both teachers at the Marlborough Centre at Hoo, near Rochester, were holidaying separately in the Phuket region when the tsunami hit.

Mrs Tugwell was staying in a beach cottage with her husband Matthew. He was swept out of the cottage by the giant wave and managed to survive. But he has not seen Hannah since.

The couple, both keen scuba divers, whose home is in the village of Chainhurst, near Maidstone, were married just over a year ago. They spent their honeymoon in Thailand.

Matthew Tugwell moved to Bankok following the tsunami, where he was joined by his mother and Hannah's father.

Hannah had been admitted to hospital for surgery earlier this year, and the holiday in Thailand was part of her convalescence. Jo Lee, also a keen diver, had gone to Thailand quite separately and was back-packing in the region. So far it's not known if she survived the tsunami.

The Marlborough Centre is attached to Hoo St Werburgh Primary School, and caters for children with autism. It moved into its new £1 million purpose built facility last summer.

A spokesman for Medway Council said: "Our thoughts are with everyone who has lost friends or relatives in this terrible tragedy. Our prayers are with the families of Hannah and Jo who remain missing."