The Metropolitan Police have revealed that the man that was arrested yesterday in connection with the disappearance of Sarah Everard has now been arrested on suspicion of murder. Police are currently searching searching locations in London and Kent including a property in Deal and an area of woodland near Ashford.
The man, who is yet to be named, is a serving police officer in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command. His primary role was uniformed patrol duties of diplomatic premises.
'The man, who is aged in his 40s, was arrested on the evening of Tuesday, 9 March on suspicion of kidnap,' the Met Police said in a statement. 'Today, Wednesday, 10 March, he has been further arrested on suspicion of murder and a separate allegation of indecent exposure.'
'A woman, who is aged in her 30s, was also arrested on the evening of 9 March on suspicion of assisting an offender. She remains in custody,' the statement also read.
Sarah was reported missing last Wednesday. She had spent the evening at a friends house before walking home. She was last seen on CCTV around 21.30 GMT, 30 minutes after she left her friend’s home in Leathwaite Road, Clapham towards her home in Brixton – which was a 50 minute walk overall.
Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave said the new arrests were 'a serious and significant development'.
'We will continue to work with all speed on this investigation but the fact that the arrested man is a serving Metropolitan Police officer is both shocking and deeply disturbing,' he said. He later confirmed the officer 'was not on duty at the time' when Sarah went missing and did not say if the officer was known to her.
Following the arrest of the police officer, the Metropolitan Police has made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Sarah's family have been kept updated, the police have said.
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