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The burned body of an aspiring Playboy model has been found in a rubbish bin.

Paula Sladewski - who appeared in the video Playboy: The Ultimate Playmate Search - was so badly burned officials had to use dental records to identify her.

The LA-based model had been visiting Florida during a holiday with her boyfriend who reported her missing.

On New Year's Eve she went to a Lady Gaga concert in Miami and spent the weekend visiting nightclubs and bars.

Reports claimed she became separated from her boyfriend in the early hours of Sunday morning. Her charred remains were discovered on Sunday night.

A passer-by had alerted the authorities after seeing a bin on fire in a Miami street.

Ms Sladewski's stepfather Richard Watkins told the Miami Herald his stepdaughter was an aspiring model who saw the profession as her dream.

Playboy: The Ultimate Playmate Search was released in 2003 and featured a string of women aspiring to be models for the brand.

A cause of death has not been established. Police are investigating.