Boy, 16, arrested in missing woman murder probe Published duration 27 August 2019

image copyright Lancashire Police image caption Lindsay Birbeck was last seen on CCTV walking on Burnley Road in Huncoat

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a teaching assistant whose body was found in a cemetery.

Lindsay Birbeck 47, was last seen in Huncoat, Lancashire, on 12 August and was found at Accrington Cemetery on Saturday.

Post-mortem tests found she had been strangled.

The youth, from Accrington, was arrested following an appeal on Tuesday, Lancashire Police said.

The teenager is being held in custody.

Ms Birbeck went missing at about 16:00 BST on 12 August and her disappearance prompted wide-ranging searches by hundreds of members of the public.

On Tuesday, police released CCTV images of a suspect walking along Burnley Road towards Accrington with a blue wheelie bin five days after she vanished.

A bin similar to the one in the footage was found near the scene where Ms Birbeck's body was discovered, police said.

image copyright Lancashire Police image caption Ms Birbeck's body was found in Accrington Cemetery on Saturday

Det Supt Andy Cribbin, from Lancashire Police's major investigation team, said: "The response to our earlier appeal has been absolutely overwhelming and I would like to thank everyone who has come forward with information.

"While we have made an arrest, our inquiries are very much continuing and I would continue to appeal for anyone with information to come forward.

"However, I would urge people not to speculate and to be mindful of the comments they make, especially on social media, as this causes distress to the family and could impact on our investigation."