A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a woman almost 17 years ago.
Emma Caldwell had been a sex worker in Glasgow when she disappeared in April 2005.
The 27-year-old’s body was discovered several weeks later in woods near Biggar, South Lanarkshire.
The unsolved case was reopened in 2015 following consideration by senior lawyers in the Crown Office and tireless campaigning by her mother, Margaret Caldwell.
On Thursday, Police Scotland said a 49-year-old man had been arrested in connection with Ms Caldwell’s death.
The force said the arrest in the Glasgow area “follows significant enquiries by detectives from Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, the Scottish Police Authority and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service”.
The man remains in custody.
Detective superintendent Graeme Mackie, the senior investigating officer, said: “Police Scotland officers have undertaken a significant amount of work reinvestigating all the circumstances surrounding Emma’s death following instruction from the Lord Advocate in 2015.
“This is a complex and challenging investigation and I would like to thank everyone involved for their efforts in getting us to this point of a man being arrested earlier today.
“Emma’s family, in particular her mother Margaret, have shown incredible resilience and determination since her death in 2005 and I would like to pay tribute to that today.
“We have remained in close contact with them during this investigation and officers have updated Margaret on this significant development.
“The investigation into Emma’s death continues and I would urge anyone with information, no matter how small or insignificant they might think it is, to please come forward and speak to us.
“As legal proceedings are now live we are unable to comment further.”
Ms Caldwell was last seen between 12.30am and 1.30am on April 5, 2005, on London Road, Glasgow.
She was reported missing by her family on April 10, and her body was discovered in woods at Roberton, near Biggar, South Lanarkshire, on May 8, 2005.
STV NewsLast summer, Ms Caldwell’s mum met with Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain QC.
Following the “very detailed” talks, Ms Bain was said to have accepted that mistakes were made in investigations into Ms Caldwell’s death.
Following the meeting, Mrs Caldwell said she had “renewed hope” for justice.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Aamer Anwar, Mrs Caldwell’s solicitor, said: “Margaret and her family are truly grateful to the detectives at Police Scotland and the Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain’s team who have worked tirelessly in reinvestigating the murder of Emma since we met with the then lord advocate in 2015.
“I also wish to pay tribute to Margaret Caldwell, a mother who through the love of a child, has never given up in her struggle for justice.
“The investigation into Emma’s death continues, and her family would urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant they might think it is, to please come forward and to speak to Police Scotland.”
Mr Anwar stated that as legal proceedings are live, it would be “inappropriate” to comment further and that “nothing should be done to interfere with the administration of justice”.
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