Helen Bailey murder case: Remains found at author's home

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Helen BaileyImage source, Hertfordshire Police
Image caption,
Author Helen Bailey has been missing for three months

Human remains have been found at the home of a children's author believed to have been murdered, three months after she was last seen alive.

Helen Bailey, 51, who created the Electra Brown series for teenagers, was last seen walking her dog near her home in Royston, Hertfordshire, on 11 April.

Police said they believed the remains - found after search teams returned to the property on Monday - were a body.

A 55-year-old man has been re-arrested on suspicion of murder.

He was first arrested on Monday, and bailed prior to his second arrest.

Ms Bailey's family has been informed of the development, police said.

In April, following her disappearance, extensive searches were carried out at Mrs Bailey's holiday home in Broadstairs, Kent, where friends originally said they believed the author might have gone in order to have "some time to herself".

Image source, South Beds News Agency
Image caption,
Forensics teams have been searching the author's home in Royston
Image source, Hertfordshire Police
Image caption,
Hertfordshire Police also searched a holiday home Ms Bailey owned in Kent

Forensics teams searched the home she shared with her partner, Ian Stewart, and a holiday home owned by the couple in Broadstairs, Kent.

It is believed the Northumberland-born author left her Royston house to take her miniature dachshund for a walk.

She had left a note saying she wanted some time on her own and was going to stay at their holiday home in Broadstairs.

Mr Stewart reported her missing four days later, after he travelled to Kent and found she had not been there.

As well as the teenage book series, the author wrote a blog called Planet Grief after her husband of 22 years drowned on holiday in Barbados in 2011.

The arrested man has also been held on suspicion of disposing of a body in a manner likely to obstruct the coroner and on suspicion of theft of money belonging to Mrs Bailey, Hertfordshire Police said.

Image source, sbna
Image caption,
Officers looking for the author have carried out extensive searches of the local area since she went missing

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