A man arrested in connection with the murder of Sharon Birchwood was due to return to a police station today to face fresh questions over her death.

Mrs Birchwood was found on December 7 in her bungalow in Harriotts Lane, Ashtead, on her bed bound and gagged. A postmortem examination showed she had been strangled.

Her ex-husband Graham Birchwood was arrested a month later and then released on bail 24 hours later.

This week he returned to Surrey police's headquarters in Guildford to be grilled again by detectives.

His father, Colin Birchwood, said this week his son had been told to expect to remain at the police station for a number of days, possibly until Saturday.

He said: "Graham is 100 per cent innocent. He never did this.

"Nobody who knew Sharon would have killed her.

"She was a dear old girl. I think it's disgusting when an innocent person has to be subjected to this. I don't understand it."