Police in Gloucestershire have arrested a man on suspicion of the murder of Carol Clark, who was killed 30 years ago after going missing in Bristol.

The 66-year-old suspect was taken into custody for questioning on Tuesday, Gloucestershire Police said.

Ms Clark was 32 when she was last seen alive, getting into a car in the Montpelier area of Bristol on the evening of Friday 26 March 1993.

She was wearing a black baseball cap, brown leather jacket, blue denim mini skirt, black polo neck jumper and a plain blue t-shirt at the time.

Her body was discovered by a dog walker in reeds and undergrowth close to the water at Sharpness Docks on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal two days later.

She had been strangled and her neck was broken.

A large-scale murder investigation was launched by Gloucestershire Police after the body was found, but despite extensive inquiries and reviews of the case, no one was ever charged with the murder.

Late last month, on the 30th anniversary of the discovery of Ms Clark’s body, officers from the South West major crime investigation team said they had received “new and significant” information, prompting them to reopen the case.

Read more:
Gloucestershire Police reopen unsolved 1993 murder case of Carol Clark

In a statement released by police, Ms Clark’s family said: “We are aware that the investigation into Carol’s death is being reopened based on new evidence and that new inquiries are being pursued.

“We hope that this investigation will allow us some closure.

“We are being updated by police family liaison officers and ask for our privacy to be respected at this time.”

Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Usher said: “We are determined to get answers and justice for Carol’s family, and this arrest is a positive development in our ongoing investigation.

“There is a dedicated team of staff working on this case, and while progress is being made, I’m still asking people to come forward if they feel they may have information which could assist us.”