A MAN has tonight been arrested on suspicion of murder by detectives investigating the killing of Pennie Davies in the New Forest.

The 36-year-old man was arrested in Southampton at 7.50pm and remains in police custody.

Pennie’s family has been informed.

It comes after a reward of £5,000 was earlier offered in the hunt for the killer.

The offer from the charity Crimestoppers came as police issued an appeal for specific information a week after the murder of the mother-of-five.

Pennie, 47, was killed while tending her horse in a field in Beaulieu. Her body was found by her husband in a paddock by Leygreen Farm on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 2.

Officers believe it is possible Pennie may have been followed there from her workplace.

Police would like to hear from anyone who may have seen or heard anyone acting suspiciously around Sainsbury’s in Hampton Lane, Blackfield, that day between 1pm and 3pm. 

They would also like to hear from anyone who saw Pennie’s dark green Toyota Land Cruiser travelling between the supermarket and the field at Leygreen Farm between those times.

Detective Superintendent Paul Barton said: “It’s been a week since Pennie was murdered and in that time we’ve made significant progress with more than 200 officers and staff working on the investigation.

“We’re continuing to follow up several lines of enquiry and I’m really grateful to everyone who has called in with information. Since the start of the appeal we’ve received more than 230 messages from the public.

“Pennie had recently starting renting out the field but not many people were aware of that. One of our lines of enquiry therefore is the possibility she was followed from Blackfield Sainsbury’s, where she’d been working that morning, to the paddock by Leygreen Farm.

“I’d ask anyone with information, no matter how small or insignificant you think it may be, to contact us.”

Officers were returning to the scene at Leygreen Farm on Tuesday afternoon, September 9, and were speaking to drivers and walkers around Blackfield.

A 22-year-old, arrested on Saturday in connection with the attack was released on Monday night by detectives leading the murder hunt.

 Anyone with information is asked to contact the Operation Biscotti investigation team on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.