POLICE hunting the killer of a mother and her three children have arrested a Blackburn woman on suspicion of murder.

Detectives today confirmed that 35-year-old Musarrat Iqbal, had been arrested in connection with the murder Uzma Arshad, 32, her daughter Henne, six, and sons Abbas, eight, and 11-year-old Adam in Cheadle Hulme, near Stockport.

Officers from Greater Manchester Police confirmed they were still interviewing the Blackburn mother-of-four in connection with the deaths, after swooping on her family home at 7am on Wednesday.

The murdered family were found last Sunday when neighbours, distressed by the stench and flies, called the police.

Forensic experts said the whole family had been killed up to three weeks before they were discovered and had all died of head injuries.

An international hunt was then launched for missing husband and father Rahan Arshad, 36, who police believed had fled the country on or around July 29.

The taxi driver's BMW was found at Heathrow's Terminal Three, though it is unknown whether he travelled to Pakistan where he has relatives.

It is believed that Mussarat, who now shares a semi-detached home in the Burnage area of Manchester with husband Naseer Iqbal, 40, is a former neighbour of the murdered family.

It is believed she was born and brought up in the Whalley Range area of Blackburn.

The Arshads lived near them in Manchester before moving to their end-of-terrace in Cheadle Hulme six months ago.

Mussarat was arrested at home and her husband Naseer was arrested at a different Burnage address minutes later.

A police spokesman today confirmed that she had been taken to Cheadle Hulme police station for questioning and her home had been sealed off for forensic investigation and was still under police guard.

They said Mussarat was still in police custody and officers were expected to apply for a warrant for further questioning once the 36 hour deadline was met last night.

Det Supt Martin Bottomley said: "I can confirm that we have arrested two people on suspicion of murder.

"At 7am On Wednesday we arrested a 35-year-old woman in Burnage, Manchester and we also arrested a 40-year-old man from the same area. Both have been arrested on suspicion of murder.

"All four post mortem examinations have now been carried out and I can confirm that all four victims died as a result of head injuries.

"We are still actively looking for Rahan Arshad and I now believe that he left the country around July 29. We will be liaising with our colleagues in international police forces to help us to trace him."