A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of a woman was discovered at a house in Sussex.
Fiona Fisher, 51, was found dead by police at her Victorian home in Crowborough on Friday night.
Police were called to her house to carry out a welfare check and arrested a 22-year-old man – who is related to Fiona – following a search of the property.
Officers spoke to the 22-year-old at the five bedroom house, worth £750,000, and said they are ‘not seeking any one else’.
Fiona Fisher, 51, was found dead by police at her Victorian home in Crowborough
A man was arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of a woman was found at a house in Sussex
Police were called to the home to carry out a welfare check on Fiona (left) and arrested the man following a search of the property
Her family have described her as irreplaceable.
In a statement, her family said: ‘Fiona will be sadly missed by her daughter Megan, her mother Dorothy and stepfather Les, as well as her father.
‘There are no words to explain the love those around her felt for her, she is irreplaceable.
‘At this time we would please hope that everyone could respect our privacy and allow her friends and family to grieve.’
Residents were shocked to discover the crime that happened in their small quiet village.
One said: ‘This is such a sleepy hollow we are in a state of disbelief something like this could happen.
‘I didn’t know the woman well but she was always pleasant and friendly.’
Forensic teams spent the day gathering clues at the house along a remote single track road on the outskirts of Crowborough.
A police guard was put on the five bedroomed home that residents said was a converted chapel and officers were back at the house on Sunday morning.
Neighbours said the property had been on the market several times in recent years and had failed to sell due to lack of parking.
Fiona was described as a private but pleasant woman.
One neighbour said Fiona had lived at the property for many years but was not well known in the area.
She added: ‘This has stunned us. We live in a fairly remote spot and people were extremely nervous to hear it could be a murder investigation.
The 22-year-old is related to the dead woman found in the Crowborough home, Sussex police said
Officers spoke to the man and searched the four bedroom Victorian house worth £750,000
‘But we have been assured it doesn’t seem like a break in that went wrong and that the young man being questioned is known to the poor victim.
‘It is a lovely property, very expensive, and has been sold several times over the years. No-one seems to have seen or heard anything.’
Another Lordswell Lane resident said: ‘At first we thought it was a break-in, but my son spoke to the police and they said it wasn’t.
‘I didn’t see or hear anything about it. Once the doors are closed you can’t hear anything.’
A spokesman for Sussex police said they were called to the property on Lordswell Lane at 7:20pm.
‘Officers arrested a man after finding the body of a woman on Friday evening.
‘After speaking to him, he was arrested on suspicion of murder.’
‘He is currently in custody and we are not seeking any one else in connection with this inquiry.’
Anyone with information is asked to contact Sussex police quoting Operation Stonegate.
This picture of the rear of the four-bedroom house appeared on the website of a Crowborough estate agent
The garden of the Crowborough house is pictured on the website of a local estate agent
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