DETECTIVES were quizzing a 56-year-old Ramsbottom man on suspicion of murder on Monday after the body of his estranged wife was discovered in his home.

Officers swooped on the property in Thorpe Street on Sunday and found the 65-year-old woman dead in a back bedroom.

It is believed she had suffered head injuries.

They arrested the man on Sunday night and he was being interviewed yesterday by officers.

Police said that just after 5pm on Sunday, they received a phone call from a relative of the woman, expressing concern for the welfare of the pensioner who lived in Bury.

Officers initially forced their way into her own home before going to her husband's house in Thorpe Street, Ramsbottom.

After the discovery of the body, detectives threw a cordon around the house as forensic officers carried out a full examination of the scene.

A post mortem was taking place yesterday to establish the full cause of the woman's death.

Formal identification of the woman was not being carried out until today.

Detective Inspector Bill Beddows. of Bury CID, who is leading the investigation, said: "If anyone has any information about this incident, then I am appealing for them to contact us."

They should ring Bury CID on (0161) 856 8150 or, alternatively, call freephone CrimeStoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

As the Bury Times went to press, the man was being interviewed at the police's divisional headquarters in Bury.