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Tia Sharp: police find body in grandmother's house Tia Sharp: police arrest Stuart Hazell on suspicion of murder
(40 minutes later)
The week-long hunt for missing 12-year-old schoolgirl Tia Sharp has become a murder investigation after police discovered a body during a search of her grandmother's house. Police hunting for the missing schoolgirl Tia Sharp searched her grandmother's house three times before finally finding a body and launching a manhunt for the last man to see her alive, Scotland Yard has admitted.
Less than four hours after a Metropolitan police forensic team went into the property on the New Addington estate in south-east London, Scotland Yard revealed they had found a body. It is understood that it was discovered inside the house, not in the garden or an outbuilding. Senior officers attempted on Friday night to head off criticism of their inquiry into the 12 year old's disappearance - which has now become a murder investigation - after the discovery of the body during the fourth search of the terraced house in New Addington, south east London.
The body has yet to be formally identified, but there is little doubt that it is that of the schoolgirl, a pupil at Raynes Park high school in the nearby borough of Merton. A postmortem is due to be carried out. Stuart Hazell, 37, who lived at the property with Tia's grandmother Christine Sharp, was arrested in Merton south-west London. He is being held on suspicion of murder.
Tia's mother Natalie has been informed of the discovery. As Hazell was being arrested a senior Metropolitan police officer acknowledged there would be many questions asked about why they had taken so long to find the body.
A manhunt is now under way for Stuart Hazell, 37, who lived at the property with Tia's grandmother, Christine Sharp, 46. The public were warned not to approach Hazell, who has several convictions, including drugs offences and possession of an offensive weapon, but to phone 999 if he was seen. No identification has taken place yet but there is little doubt that it is that of the missing schoolgirl, who was on summer holiday from Raynes Park high school, and went missing more than a week ago, on Friday 3 August.
"A number of searches took place at the address," said Commander Neil Basu. "When Tia was first reported missing, officers searched her bedroom as is normal practice ... A further search of the house took place in the early hours of Sunday morning by a specialist team. This was then followed by another search of the house by specialist dogs on Wednesday lunchtime."
But it was only on Friday afternoon, after a full forensic search of 20 The Lindens was finally carried out that the body was found.
It is understood it was found in the confines of the house, not outside or in any outbuilding.
Tia's mother Natalie was informed of the discovery on Friday afternoon and a postmortem examination will be carried out in due course.
A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: "A murder inquiry has been launched after a body was found at 20 The Lindens, New Addington. We are seeking to find Stuart Hazell to be interviewed in connection with this case."A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: "A murder inquiry has been launched after a body was found at 20 The Lindens, New Addington. We are seeking to find Stuart Hazell to be interviewed in connection with this case."
The police are likely to face questions about why they did not mount a full search of the property earlier and how they allowed Hazell to vanish. Hazell was believed to be the last person to see Tia alive. He said she had left the house at noon to go into Croydon to buy some flipflops, but there was always a suspicion that the schoolgirl had not gone far from the property.
Sniffer dogs were used twice to examine the house, most recently on Friday morning but a full forensic search was only carried out on Friday afternoon. Christine Sharp was asked to leave the property and, by lunchtime, forensic teams were inside the house and made their discovery later in the afternoon. But police were also following up two sightings of Tia which suggested that she might have left the house, as Hazell had suggested.
Commander Neil Basu acknowledged that there would be many questions about the investigation. Speaking outside the house, he said: "When police investigate cases as difficult and challenging as this it is important that we do not just focus on one line of enquiry. As the inquiry went on, however, Hazell's claim that Tia had gone into Croydon was not backed up by CCTV footage.
"A number of searches took place at the address. When Tia was first reported missing, officers searched her bedroom as is normal practice. A further search of the house took place in the early hours of Sunday morning ... this was then followed by specialist dogs on Wednesday lunchtime. Examining hundreds of hours of tape, police failed to find any trace of Tia in the town, and their focus returned more intently to the house in New Addington.
"What we now need to establish is how long the body has been in the place where it was found. It would be wrong to jump to any conclusions until all the facts have been established." By Friday a decision was made to search again, in a detailed and extensive way and Ms Sharp was asked to leave the property. When asked where Hazell was, Christine Sharp said:
Hazell was thought to have been the last person to see Tia alive and there was always a suspicion that the schoolgirl had not gone far from the property. "I don't know where Stuart is, he is out doing his own thing. He has had it hard, he knows the finger is being pointed at him."
But police were also following up two sightings of Tia which suggested she might have left the house, as Hazell had suggested, at noon last Friday.
As the inquiry went on, however, Hazell's claim that Tia had gone into Croydon to buy some flip-flops was not backed up by CCTV footage.
Examining hundreds of hours of tape, police failed to find any trace of Tia in the town and their focus returned more intently to the house in New Addington.
By Friday, a decision was made to search again, in a detailed and extensive way.
Police interviewed Hazell as a witness on Wednesday but released him without further action. He was never arrested.Police interviewed Hazell as a witness on Wednesday but released him without further action. He was never arrested.
In an interview with ITV News on Thursday, he denied any involvement in the disappearance of Tia. He did an interview with ITV News on Thursday to deny any involvement in the disappearance of Tia.
"Did I do anything to Tia? No, I didn't. I love her to bits. She is like my own daughter," he said."Did I do anything to Tia? No, I didn't. I love her to bits. She is like my own daughter," he said.
"I know deep down she walked out of here. I know deep down she walked down that path. What happened after that I don't know.""I know deep down she walked out of here. I know deep down she walked down that path. What happened after that I don't know."
It was Hazell who led a candlelit vigil this week for the schoolgirl, wearing a white T-shirt with a picture of the missing girl and the words: "Find Tia" beneath it. It was Hazell who led a candlelit vigil this week for the schoolgirl, wearing a white T shirt with a picture of the missing girl and the words: "Find Tia" beneath it.
When asked earlier on Friday by reporters outside the house where Hazell was, Christine Sharp replied: "I don't know where Stuart is; he is out doing his own thing. He has had it hard – he knows the finger is being pointed at him." Basu said the family had been kept up to date with developments. "Our priority is to support the family of Tia at this distressing time and identify the body which has been discovered as quickly as possible."
Friends on the estate have been walking the streets all week, carrying posters of Tia and asking the public for help in finding her. Within minutes of the discovery of a body at the house, members of the local community arrived to express their sadness and shock, but there was also anger directed against the police. Friends on the estate have been walking the streets all week, carrying posters of Tia and asking the public for help in finding her. Within minutes of the discovery of a body at the house on Friday members of the local community arrived to express their sadness and shock. But there was some anger directed against the family and the police.
Ginny Oteng, 46, a mother of three, said: "I have kids of my own the same age as Tia, and I was worried because I thought there was a child snatcher out there." Ginny Oteng, 46, a mother of three, said: "I have kids of my own the same age as Tia, and I was worried because I thought there was a child snatcher out there.
Alston Millington, 32, expressed the views of many when she said she had hoped Tia had been in trouble at home and had run off in an act of rebellion. "I was hoping she would be found somewhere with somebody," she said. "It's such sad news." Eileen Minogue, 40, said: "I feel disgusted. It is heartbreaking.
Eileen Minogue, 40, said: "I feel disgusted. It is heartbreaking. I feel for the genuine family, her mum Natalie, the cousins and aunts who have been in that house who have had sleepless nights waiting for Tia to come home. All the while her body was there." "I feel for the genuine family, her mum Natalie, the cousins and aunts who have been in that house who have had sleepless nights waiting for Tia to come home. All the while her body was there."
The search for Tia has been the focus for much of the community on the New Addington estate for thepast week. One man shouted abuse at the police and asked: "Weren't you watching him?"
Gavin Barwell, MP for Croydon Central, wrote on his blog: "The police and forensic teams now have a serious job to do and I ask that we all please allow them to get on with trying to close a case which has, in such a short period of time, affected so many of us in Croydon and around the country. Gavin Barwell, MP for Croydon central wrote on his blog: "The police and forensic teams now have a serious job to do and I ask that we all please allow them to get on with trying to close a case which has, in such a short period of time, affected so many of us in Croydon and around the country.
"Despite the sad end to an emotional week, I want to praise the community in New Addington for their relentless dedication to trying to help their neighbour's family. So often in times of tragedy come inspirational displays of community.""Despite the sad end to an emotional week, I want to praise the community in New Addington for their relentless dedication to trying to help their neighbour's family. So often in times of tragedy come inspirational displays of community."