Man arrested over woman's murder at Maplebeck farm

A 71-year-old man has been arrested after a woman was found dead at a farmhouse in Nottinghamshire.

The suspect was found injured at Low Farm in Maplebeck, where 70-year-old Julia Thurgarland was found strangled on Friday afternoon.

The man is being treated in hospital in Lincoln following his arrest, police said.

Police said after inquiries at the scene and in the area they were confident it was an isolated incident.

The ambulance service alerted police to the death at the farm in the village near Southwell just before 16:00 GMT on Friday.

Mrs Thurgarland was a church warden in Maplebeck, said a statement from the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham.

The Reverend Richard Seymour-Whiteley, priest in charge of a cluster of churches including St Radegund in Maplebeck, said: "We wish to respect the family's privacy at this time and our prayers are with them all, along with all those who knew Julia well."

A police spokesman said Mrs Thurgarland's relatives were being supported by specially-trained officers following her death.

Det Ch Insp Tony Heydon, who is leading the investigation, said: "Despite the arrest I am still appealing to anyone with any information to contact us."

A cordon will remain in place at the scene as inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident continue.