A 37-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the allotment murder of an 80-year-old woman in Colindale.

Detectives investigating the death of Lea Adri-Soejoko at a lock-up store in Sheaveshill Avenue arrested Mubarick Duat yesterday. He has been taken to a south London police station for questioning.

Ms Adri-Soejoko, also well known by her maiden name of Lea Hulselmans, was reported missing at 1.40am on Tuesday morning, February 28.

Officers attended the allotment 25 minutes later as part of their search and found a body in a lock-up store.

Ms Adri-Soejoko was confirmed dead at the scene with a post-mortem the following day revealing the cause of death as ligature compression of the neck.

Another man, Rahim Mohammadi, 40, of Goldsmiths Row, was charged with her murder on March 5. He will appear at the Old Bailey on July 10.

In a statement Ms Adri-Soejoko’s family said: “What is keeping us going is the hope that we will find out the truth about the callous death of our kind and loving mum.

“We need your help, the public, to support us now by assisting the investigation and helping to shed light on Mum’s final hours.”

DCI Noel McHugh, said: “I am still keen to speak with those who were in and around the area at the time of the incident. It is important that we continue to build a timeline of the events that led to officers discovering Lea’s body in the lock-up store.

“I would also like to hear from any previous owners who may be able to provide us with information about the people who currently tend to or own an allotment. I would encourage anyone who visited the area on Monday, 27 February and has not spoken with police to phone us.

“Any piece of information, however small, will help my team build a picture of events that tragic day.

“I would also like to thank everyone who contacted the investigating team in response to this morning’s appeal for information.”

Anyone with information can contact the incident room on 020 8785 8099, or police via 101 or @MetCC.

To give information anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.