Detectives investigating the murder of Joanne Sheen have arrested a 56-year-old man from Southampton on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder, after human remains discovered following a west London wildfire were formally identified as the missing mother-of-three.

The suspect remains in police custody while Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary take over the primary murder inquiry from the Metropolitan Police, following positive identification through forensic examination and DNA testing.

Ms Sheen, who was 44 when she disappeared, had not been seen since travelling from Fareham towards Southampton on 5 December 2019. Her family reported her missing in February 2020.

Her remains were discovered by a member of the public on the evening of 12 August at an area of shrubland known as The Pits, near Padstow Walk in Feltham, close to Bedfont Lakes Country Park. The site had been damaged by a two-hectare grass fire a week earlier on 5 August, which was tackled by around 25 firefighters.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed that initial reports indicated the bones belonged to a woman aged between 25 and 45. The case was transferred to Hampshire detectives once formal testing confirmed the remains were Ms Sheen's.

Detective Chief Inspector Toby Elcock, from Hampshire's major crime team, described the identification as a significant development that opens several new lines of enquiry. He said that while this tragic outcome was not what anyone had hoped for, officers hope it will begin to provide answers after years of uncertainty for Ms Sheen's family, who he praised for showing tremendous strength and dignity.

Over the course of the long-running missing persons inquiry, Hampshire officers have pursued more than 4,000 lines of enquiry, taken over 300 witness statements, and searched more than 10 addresses, alongside multiple vessels, waterways, and woodland areas around Southampton.

A police spokesman said officers from Hampshire and the Met are now working together to establish exactly what happened to Ms Sheen and how her remains came to be in Feltham.

What remains unclear is the exact cause of death and the circumstances that brought Ms Sheen from Hampshire to west London. Independent charity Crimestoppers continues to offer a £20,000 reward for information passed to them anonymously.

I'll be following this one closely as the suspect is questioned and further forensic results emerge — check back for updates.