North Yorkshire Police descended on Thornton-le-Dale, between York and Scarborough, at noon today (Wednesday) after reports of a “serious incident”. Neighbours said that the police presence on Church Lane, a residential street, had been “a shock”.

       In a statement released this evening, the police force said: “A woman was found deceased at the property and this is currently being treated as a murder investigation.

       “A man has been arrested and investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident.

       “A scene guard remains in place.”

       Christopher John Holmes, a neighbour of the deceased, paid tribute to the woman.

       He told YorkshireLive: “She was a nice woman, I got on with her well.

       “I didn’t expect this would happen to her.”

       Mr Holmes reportedly said he would regularly call the mum-of-two or go round to help with gardening.

       He added: “I’m going to miss her.

       “I always checked on her and when I saw her bathroom lights come on in the mornings I knew she was alright. Sometimes she’d pull the curtains back and wave at me.”

       Mr Holmes said further: “I can’t believe she’s gone.”

       After police showed up in the village, on the southern tip of the North Yorkshire Moors, one neighbour who lives across the road told the local news outlet: “Nothing ever happens here.

       “When I saw all the police, ambulance and the helicopter I thought ‘oh my, what’s going on here?’”

       North Yorkshire Police’s crime reference number for the incident is 12220002314.

       Additional reporting by Victoria Scheer, Mellissa Dzinzi, and Danielle Hoe