In a statement last night the 81-year-old actor-director and Lady Attenborough said that Lucy had “died at the scene” as a wall of water engulfed the resort of Phuket, where the couple’s elder daughter Jane, her husband, her mother-in-law and her three children had been on holiday. The statement said that Jane and her mother-in-law, Jane Holland, were still missing two days after the tsunami struck.

It did not make clear whether the family held out any hope of their being found alive. Another granddaughter, Alice, 17, was being treated in hospital.

The film director asked for privacy as his family spoke of “this terrible time”.

His daughter and her family had travelled to Thailand last week to spend Christmas and new year in a recently acquired holiday home.

Lord Attenborough’s son-in-law Michael Holland and his grandson, Sam, survived the disaster.

Yesterday’s statement said: “Lord (Richard) Attenborough and his wife, Sheila, have lost three members of their immediate family in the tidal wave disaster that hit the beaches of Thailand on Boxing Day morning. Their elder daughter, Jane, is missing as is her mother-in-law, Jane Holland.

“The Attenboroughs’ granddaughter Lucy died at the scene. Another granddaughter, Alice, is now being treated in hospital. “Two members of the family survived unscathed — they are the Attenboroughs’ son-in-law Michael Holland and the eldest grandson, Sam.

“The Holland family left their London home last week for a two-week holiday at the Thai beach resort.

“Lord Attenborough, his wife, other daughter Charlotte and son Michael, together with their families, ask that the news media respect their need for privacy at this terrible time. None has anything further to add.”

The number of British victims of the disaster continued to rise last night. Those missing include Simon Atlee, 33, a British fashion photographer who was staying at a beachfront bungalow in Phuket with his girlfriend, Petra Nemcova, a Czech model.

Miss Nemcova, 25, who was recovering in a Thai hospital last night, had survived by clinging to a tree for eight hours after suffering several broken bones, including a suspected broken pelvis.

Mr Atlee’s agent, Eve Stoner, said that the British authorities had no information about what had happened to him but that she was hopeful. “As time goes on we are getting quite frantic and stressed about it. Our thoughts are really with Petra and Simon’s family,” she said.

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