A man has been arrested in Leicestershire in connection with the murder of a British woman in Italy.
Michele Faiers, 66, was found in her home near the town of Casoli, Abruzzo, on Wednesday morning. She had several stab wounds to her abdomen, and is believed to have died four or five days earlier.
Leicestershire police said a 74-year-old man was arrested in Shepshed on Wednesday evening and was in custody.
The force did not name the suspect, but said that detectives from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) were in contact with Italian police and the Foreign Office.
DI David Greenhalgh, from EMSOU, said: “We are continuing to work with authorities both in the United Kingdom and Italy regarding this incident.
“Ms Faiers’ family have asked for privacy at this time and I would ask that this is respected.”
Faiers was found by a friend who went to check on her after failing to reach her by phone for several days. The friend was able to enter the property as a key had been left in the door, and was reported to have found Faiers’ body in bed. The local news website ChietiToday reported that neighbours had heard the friend’s screams and called the police.
According to reports in Italian media, Faiers had been living with Michael Dennis Whitbread near Casoli for about three years. They were reported to have been a “very reserved” couple who enjoyed going for long walks with their dogs.
“We are very sorry about what has happened,” Massimo Tiberini, the mayor of Casoli, told the Italian news agency La Presse. “We are concerned … the police are continuing with their investigations.”
