Helen Bailey: Man arrested on suspicion of murder over disappearance of celebrated children's novelist

The 51-year-old was last seen walking her dog on 11 April

Helen Bailey, 51, was last seen walking her dog (Hertfordshire Police)

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the disappearance of author Helen Bailey.

The 51-year-old children’s novelist was last seen exactly three months ago near her home in Royston, Hertfordshire where she was seen walking her dog.

His disappearance came several weeks after the fifth anniversary of the death of her husband, John Sinfield, who drowned after being caught in a riptide in Barbados in February 2011.

A 55-year-old man from Royston was arrested on Monday morning and is being questioned on suspicion of murder, disposing of a body in a manner likely to obstruct the coroner, and theft, Hertfordshire Police said.

In a statement, the force said: "Significant inquiries and searches have already been made as part of the investigation to trace Helen and further searches at her home address in Royston and an address in Broadstairs in Kent are taking place today."

Following her disappearance on 11 April, extensive searches were carried out at her holiday home in Broadstairs, Kent after friends said they believed she might have gone to have “some time to herself”.

Ms Bailey, who was the author of the popular Electra Brown series, launched the Planet Grief blog to help her cope with the death of her husband.

A book of the blog, called When bad things happen in good bikinis was published in October 2015.

Additional reporting by PA