by Keyan Milanian

Police have released the identity of the woman found in a suitcase in Cliffe.

A man has been arrested.

Originally from the Phillipines, Leah Questin a 37 year-old care worker, lived in Sneyd Road, London.

The Metropolitan Police have now taken over the case from kent Police and launched a murder investigation.

A 35-year-old man was arrested today at 6am at an address in South east London.

Last Thursday, September 24 officers found a badly decomposed body in a suitcase in a dried-up pond by farmland off Buckland Road in Cliffe near Rochester.

Next of kin has been informed.

A post mortem was carried out last Friday but the results were inconclusive.

Forensic tests are ongoing to establish the cause of death.

Ms Questin had been reported missing to the Missing Persons Unit at Brent by a friend at around midday on September 12.

She was last seen at her home address.

Detective Chief Inspector, Peter Lansdown, of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command, based at Hendon, said: "As a result of enquiries into Leah's disappearance, we have established through CCTV footage, that she travelled alone on the 172 bus in the area of Elephant and Castle and was heading south.

"She boarded this bus on the New Kent Road shortly after exiting Elephant and Castle underground station.

"It is still not clear where she was heading to.

"Leah is described as 4ft 11 inches tall with a petite build. She has a light complexion and long black hair. Leah was wearing a red top and blue jeans.

"I appeal to anyone who saw Leah in south east London or on the 172 bus or its route on Saturday 12 September to contact us.

"We also need to hear from anyone who may have seen her after 12 September and up until her body was found as we need to understand where she was going, who she was meeting and how she came to be murdered.

"We continue to liaise with our colleagues at Kent Constabulary and I would like to thank them for their work during the early stages of this enquiry."

Anyone with information should call the incident room based at Hendon on 020 8358 0200; or if you wish to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.