Tributes have been paid to the niece of magician and comedian Tommy Cooper who was found dead at her East Sussex home.
The body of Sabrina Cooper, 68, was found at an address in the shopping area of Eastbourne at 6.45pm on Sunday.
Tony King, 59, of Cornfield Terrace, who was known to Ms Cooper, was arrested on Monday morning and charged with one count of murder and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
He has been remanded in custody to appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
Ms Cooper owned Cooper’s Magic Shop in the seaside town until it closed in 2017, according to Sussex World.
One local shared a tribute to Ms Cooper on Facebook: “We met a few times, had some lovely chats at the nail bar and outdoors when she walked the dogs.
“A beautiful, lovely lady who made my day so bright when I first moved to Eastbourne. I know this is very personal, but I really want to pay my respect and say a last goodbye to Sabrina.”
DCI Emma Vickers, of Sussex Police, said: “Our thoughts are with Sabrina’s family and friends at this difficult time. We are supporting them and keeping them updated on the progress of this fast-moving investigation.
“We understand this incident will also cause upset and concern in the community, and I would like to reassure people that this is being treated as an isolated incident involving people known to each other, and with no threat to the wider public.
“We have already completed extensive inquiries and this has resulted in a person being arrested and charged within 48 hours of police initially attending the address.
“Those inquiries will continue as the case progresses through the court, and we encourage anyone with concerns or information relating to what happened to get in touch with us.”
Tommy Cooper, voted the UK’s funniest-ever comedian, died at the age of 63 after suffering a heart attack live on television in 1984.
Members of the public can report information to police by calling 101 quoting Operation Dorsal. Alternatively, report information anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers online or by calling 0800 555 111.
