Husband held over death of his wife

A FATHER of four was arrested last night, after an armed police manhunt, on suspicion of murdering his wife.

Stuart Andrews, 54, is accused of killing his wife Caroline, 52, at their £550,000 family home in a picturesque Kent village.

The death sparked a search of trains, railway stations and rural lanes by armed officers.

Locals in the village of Benenden – home to one of Britain’s top girls’ schools, where Princess Anne was educated – were stunned when police swarmed through the main street on Thursday after officers found Mrs Andrews’ body in the family home.

The couple, who have two sons and two daughters aged between 14 and 26, were well-known in the village and often seen walking their two dogs.

Mrs Andrews worked part-time at Benenden Primary School but also cared for her elderly father who lived in the family bungalow.

One woman working at the school, who asked not to be named, said: ‘She was just lovely, one of the nicest people you could wish to meet. She worked as a teaching assistant doing crafts and all sorts with the younger ones. Everyone liked her. We are all totally devastated.’

Villager Karen Callaghan, 49, said: ‘It’s very sad for the village. Everyone knows everyone round

‘One of the nicest people you could meet’

here. The locals have been here a long time.’ Derek Catlin, 71, said: ‘We knew them as neighbours but I feel shock really, because there was nothing to make us think there was anything peculiar.’

That evening, up to 30 armed officers stormed a commuter train at Gillingham station and searched it for about 90 minutes while police helicopters were scrambled to search other areas.

Railway worker Wesley Tabi said: ‘There must have been 30 of them with their machine guns. They started walking up and down the train and there were some on the platform with dogs. They were l ooking under t he seats, in bins, everywhere.’

Kent Police said IT consultant Andrews was detained in London yesterday afternoon and taken to hospital with serious injuries. It was unclear how he had been injured.

His brother James, 37, said at his home in Scourie, Sutherland yesterday: ‘It’s a terrible tragedy. We first heard about it at three o’ clock this morning. It’s terrible. I am so far away, there’s little I can do. My brother has not been in touch.’