A man has been rearrested on suspicion of murder and conspiracy to commit murder after human remains discovered in south-west London were formally identified as those of missing mother-of-three Joanne Sheen.

The 56-year-old man from Southampton had previously been questioned during the original investigation into Joanne’s disappearance and has now been released on conditional bail.

Joanne was 44 when she disappeared in December 2019. She was last seen on 5 December 2019, while travelling from Fareham to Southampton, but was not formally reported missing by her family until February 2020.

The latest development follows the discovery of human remains by a member of the public at Padstow Walk in Feltham on 12 August.

The remains were found in shrubland close to Bedfont Lakes Country Park, an area which had been badly affected by a two-hectare wildfire around a week earlier.

Forensic examinations subsequently identified the remains as those of Joanne.

Following the identification, Metropolitan Police detectives formally handed the murder investigation to Hampshire Police.

Second man arrested

A second 56-year-old man from Southampton has also been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

He has also been released on bail while enquiries continue.

Joanne’s disappearance had remained unresolved despite an extensive investigation spanning several years.

Police pursued more than 4,000 separate lines of enquiry, obtained more than 300 statements and carried out searches at 10 properties as well as a number of vessels.

Investigators previously said establishing Joanne’s movements was particularly challenging because she lived a highly transient lifestyle. She had no fixed address and was reported not to have owned a vehicle or held a bank account.

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death remains ongoing.