Sian Blake's Partner Charged With Murder

A man has been charged with murdering former EastEnders actress Sian Blake and her two children.

Her partner, Arthur Simpson-Kent, was held by Metropolitan Police officers at Heathrow airport after arriving on a flight from Ghana.

Ms Blake and her sons Zachary, who was eight, and four-year-old Amon went missing on 13 December.

Their bodies were found buried in the garden at their home in Erith, Kent, on 5 January.

A post-mortem examination found they had died of head and neck injuries.

Simpson-Kent, 48, was remanded in custody after appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

Ms Blake's family - including her mother Pansy and sister Ava - were in court.

Mr Simpson-Kent is due to appear at the Old Bailey on Tuesday.

Ms Blake appeared in 56 episodes of EastEnders between 1996 and 1997, playing Frankie Pierre.

She had been suffering from motor neurone disease when she died.

The police watchdog is investigating the way in which Scotland Yard handled what began as a missing persons inquiry.

It is also looking into why it took more than three weeks to find Ms Blake and her children.