Police have been given more time to question a man over the murders of a clergyman who was killed at his vicarage and an elderly woman stabbed to death at her home.
A warrant of further detention enables officers to detain Stephen Farrow, 47, until the early hours of Wednesday without charging him.
Farrow was arrested in Folkestone, Kent, on suspicion of murdering the Rev John Suddards, 59, in Thornbury, South Gloucestershire, last Tuesday.
Police also arrested him over the death of retired teacher Betty Yates, 77, who was killed at her cottage in Bewdley, Worcestershire, on January 2.
He was detained by Kent Police at around 4.20am on Sunday after and Avon & Somerset Police nationwide appeal resulted in a tip-off from the public.
West Mercia Police officers investigating Mrs Yates' death said the two murders had been formally linked.
Mr Suddards was found stabbed to death at his home in Castle Street in Thornbury by workmen who called at the vicarage next to St Mary's Church.
A candlelit vigil to mark a week since he died will be held tonight at St Mary's.
The church's website said it was being held between 10pm and midnight, saying it was "the time of his death last week".
The Venerable Geoffrey Sidaway, the Archdeacon of Gloucester, took the Sunday morning service at St Mary's Church.
He said clergy should continue to open their doors to people in the wake of Mr Suddards' murder.
He said: "By the nature of the position, clergy are often dealing with people who are distressed and angry, and that can put us in very vulnerable situations."
Mrs Yates was found dead at the bottom of stairs at her home on January 4, having been killed two days earlier.
At the time, her daughter Hazel Costello and son David Yates, said: "We are completely bewildered as to who could carry out such a savage attack on our mother.
"That this should have happened in her home makes this even more difficult to bear."
There are no comments yet