A 74-year-old man has been arrested in England in connection with the murder of a grandmother at her Italian home, it has emerged. 

The man was arrested by police officers in Shepshed, Leicestershire, last night in connection with the murder of Michele Faiers in Italy. 

Michele, 66, was discovered lying in a pool of blood in her first-floor bedroom by her friend inside her rural home in Verratti village near Casoli, a town in eastern Italy, on Wednesday morning.

The mother-of-two was found on the floor next to her bed, dressed in her underwear and covered in a white sheet with just her feet poking out, an investigative source said told MailOnline.

Italian police were hunting Michele’s partner Michael Whitbread, 74, a retired IT consultant originally from Torquay, after he allegedly left the scene in the couple’s white Jeep Compass before police could question him.

Colonel Alceo Greco, of Italy’s carabinieri police force, said Mr Whitbread is a prime suspect in Michele’s murder and is feared to have fled Italy. Police described him as ‘intelligent, competent and able’.

Leicestershire police said today they had arrested a 74-year-old man in connection with Michele’s murder last night and he remains in custody.

Detective Inspector David Greenhalgh, from EMSOU, said: ‘We are continuing to work with authorities both in the United Kingdom and Italy regarding this incident.

‘Ms Faiers’ family have asked for privacy at this time and I would ask that this is respected.’

Michele, a mother of two daughters, was found by friend Petrina Keay who had travelled from the nearby commune of Palombaro, where 100 British expats live, after they called her yesterday morning but received no response. 

This is a breaking news story, more to follow…  

A 74-year-old man, who is a British national, was arrested by police officers in Shepshed, a town in Leicestershire, in connection with the murder of Michele Faiers (pictured) in Italy

Michele Faiers (pictured with her partner Michael Whitbread) was found fatally stabbed in her idyllic Italian home on Wednesday