- The 54-year-old’s disappearance is now being treated as suspicious and a potential murder
Police have found a body in the search for artist Claire Knights as a man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Ms Knights, 54, disappeared while walking her dog on Wednesday, August 23.
It is a murder case
Officers are treating the artist’s disappearance as suspicious and a potential murder.
She was last seen in the village of Upstreet near Canterbury, Kent.
Her car a silver Suzuki, has since been found parked in Shuart Lane in St Nicholas-at-Wade near Birchington.
She is believed to have walked from there to the Minnis Bay area of Birchington, where she is reported to have been seen later that afternoon.
Her white-and-brown spaniel was found wandering around on the beach on its own by police on Wednesday.
The 54-year-old’s disappearance is now being treated as suspicious and a potential murder.
On Thursday (August 24), police say a man in his 20s from Margate was arrested on suspicion of murder.
In a statement, Kent Police said: ‘Officers have attended a location near Minnis Bay, Birchington where a woman was found deceased.
‘Kent Police was alerted by a member of the public shortly after 7pm on Friday 25 August 2023 and patrols are currently at the scene.
‘Formal identification has not yet taken place, however, the family of a 54-year-old woman reported missing from Upstreet on Wednesday 23 August are aware.
Her death is suspicious
‘The death is being treated as suspicious and on Thursday 24 August, a man in his 20s from Margate was arrested on suspicion of murder.’
Police have cornered off a public footpath. The footpath is less than a mile from its start at Shuart Lane to the promenade at Minnis Bay.
The land in between is dotted with streams and irrigation channels.
Four Kent Fire and Rescue Service vehicles, a fire engine, two red Transit vans and an off road Land Rover were seen parked up at the Shuart Lane end before moving closed down the track beyond the police cordon.
One woman walking her dog nearby, who did not want to be named, said: ‘it’s an absolute tragedy. This is such a popular route for walkers and people with their dogs. I can’t believe something like this has happened here.’
A friend, who has known Claire for 54, years, said: ‘I last saw Claire three weeks ago and she seemed fine.
‘She seemed her usual self. I feel like something terrible has happened to her. I’m very upset about it. We’re absolutely devastated.’
The friend, who asked not to be named, said Claire is a talented sculptor who has won awards for her work.
She added: ‘She’s an incredibly good artist and not commercial at all – her work comes right from her heart. It’s profound.
‘She deserves some recognition. She never takes the easy route – her work is amazing.’
Animal lover
The friend described Ms Knights as an ‘animal lover’ who regularly looks after other people’s pets.
Two RNLI lifeboats were launched shortly before midnight on Wednesday, as part of the extensive search to find the missing woman.
A Coastguard rescue helicopter from Lydd Airport, along with Kent Police and Coastguard Rescue Teams from Margate, Herne Bay and Deal, carried out a search on land.
While lifeboats undertook a shoreline search between Minnis Bay and Reculver – up to half a nautical mile offshore.
Around two hours later, the sea search was called off, but shore-based agencies continued the search on land.
Around 10.30am on Thursday (August 24), Margate’s two RNLI lifeboats, joined by Whitstable RNLI’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat, recommenced the search.
But with no results, the sea search was called off again two-and-a-half hours later.
