Man arrested over Joanna Yeates murder
The 32-year-old man was arrested early this morning, Avon and Somerset constabulary said
A 32-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of the landscape architect Joanna Yeates.
Announcing the development, Detective Chief Inspector Phil Jones thanked the public for their support and paid tribute to Yeates's family and her boyfriend, Greg Reardon.
"I would also like to pay tribute to Jo's family and to Greg who continue to be unfailing in their support to me and my team at what is an incredibly difficult and painful time for them."
The officer warned the media that no more details could be given. "Proceedings are active and you are all reminded of the Contempt of Court Act and therefore you will understand that we cannot discuss any more details at this stage," he said.
The arrest took place early this morning, but Avon and Somerset police did not say where it happened.
Yeates's father, David, 63, speaking at the family home in Ampfield, Hampshire, said: "We are pleased that the investigation is moving forward. We know as much as you do. We were told at 6am that someone was arrested on suspicion of Jo's murder and their age."
The man is the second to be arrested on suspicion of the murder of 25-year-old Yeates.
Her landlord, Chris Jefferies, was arrested on 30 December, five days after her body was found, but released after questioning.
Yeates was last seen on Friday 17 December. She left the Ram pub near Bristol city centre, where she had been drinking with work colleagues, and walked back to her flat in Clifton, stopping at three shops and buying a pizza and two bottles of cider.
The coat and boots she was wearing were found at the flat she shared with Reardon, 27, along with keys and her phone.
Reardon reported Yeates missing when he returned on 19 December after a weekend away. Police have always emphasised he was a witness rather than a suspect.
A missing person's hunt ended when Yeates's body was found on a rural roadside verge three miles from her home. She had been strangled.
Police have since revealed that she was wearing only one long ski sock when her body was discovered, prompting speculation that the other one might have been used to strangle her.
Officers have been searching for the missing sock and the pizza that she bought on her walk home, plus its packaging. They revealed this week that Yeates had not eaten the pizza.
This week detectives have been working with television producers on an episode of Crimewatch focusing on Yeates's disappearance and murder. The filming of the programme, which was to be aired next week, had prompted more than 300 more people to come forward.
Officers were alarmed at the amount of detail published about Chris Jefferies when he was arrested and the attorney general, Dominic Grieve, stepped in to warn the media about contempt of court laws.