Sarah Everard: what Met police has said after human remains found - and serving officer charged with murder

Police say that human remains have been found in an area of woodland in Ashford in Kent

Sarah Everard went missing on March 3 (Police)

Police are continuing to question a serving officer on suspicion of the murder of Sarah Everard following the discovery of human remains.

The serving police officer in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command was charged with murder, kidnap and indecent exposure on Wednesday in what the force described as “a serious and significant development”.

Met Commissioner Cressida Dick sought to reassure the public in the wake of Wednesday’s developments, saying “it is thankfully incredibly rare for a woman to be abducted from our streets”.

Police were seen conducting a fingertip search of Poynters Road (Getty Images)

She added: “But I completely understand that despite this, women in London and the wider public – particularly those in the area where Sarah went missing – will be worried and may well be feeling scared.”

Where have human remains been found?

The Metropolitan Police said on Wednesday night that remains had been found in an area of woodland in Ashford in Kent by detectives investigating the 33-year-old’s disappearance.

The remains have not yet been identified and it could take some time to do so.

As well as the search of the woodland in Ashford, over the course of Wednesday, officers also searched a property in Deal, Kent.

Multiple cars were taken away by investigators and a neighbour told the PA news agency a police officer lived at the address with his wife and two children.

What did police say about arrest of officer?

Met Commissioner Cressida Dick said that the arrest had sent “shockwaves” therough the force.

In a statement, Ms Dick said: “The news today that it was a Metropolitan Police officer arrested on suspicion of Sarah’s murder has sent waves of shock and anger through the public and through the whole of the Met.

“I speak on behalf of all my colleagues in the Met when I say we are utterly appalled at this dreadful news. Our job is to patrol the streets and to protect people.”

Investigators are continuing to work “around the clock” on what Ms Dick described as a “very fast moving” case.

She said people living around Clapham and Tulse Hill could expect to see increased patrols in the area.

Where was Sarah Everard last spotted?

Sarah Everard was last seen wearing a green rain jacket, navy blue trousers with a white diamond pattern, and turquoise and orange trainers. It is thought that she was also wearing green headphones and a white beanie.

She went missing after leaving a friend’s home on Leathwaite Road in Clapham Junction, London.

It is believed that she was walking to her home in Brixton when she went missing.

Miss Everard has been missing since March 3 and was last captured by a doorbell camera walking along the A205 Poynders Road towards Tulse Hill at around 9.30pm on that day.