Police get more time to quiz Joanna murder suspect

Detectives have been granted more time to continue questioning Joanna Yeates's landlord on suspicion of her murder.

Chris Jefferies, 65, was arrested yesterday morning and a magistrate tonight granted Avon and Somerset Police an extension to hold him beyond 7pm.

The development came after officers spent the day talking to Peter Stanley, 56, a neighbour of the retired public school teacher in Clifton, Bristol, who said he and Mr Jefferies helped start Miss Yeates's boyfriend's car the day she vanished.

Mr Stanley recalled how he and Mr Jefferies used jump leads to start Greg Reardon's car, sending him on his way to Sheffield.

"It was a non-event at the time, but absolutely poignant now - what if we didn't get the car to start?" said Mr Stanley.

Hours after successfully starting the car, Miss Yeates, a landscape architect, disappeared and her snow-covered body was discovered more than a week later on Christmas Day.

Mr Stanley, who lives in a flat in the mansion to the right of Mr Jefferies' in Canynge Road, Clifton, is being treated by police as a witness, they confirmed tonight.

He drove away from his home in his maroon BMW with a detective and returned later in a marked police car before officers left him.

Mr Stanley said he did not think Mr Jefferies spoke to Mr Reardon about going away for the weekend, and added: "I wouldn't say there was anything tense between them."

He said: "I had only just charged up my car because it didn't work when I had gone to see a friend.

"I got a phone call from Mr Jefferies. I was asleep at the time and it was early evening.

"He asked if his tenant could borrow my jump leads.

"I think Chris Jefferies wanted to borrow my car, but I said I didn't want to take all the power out of it.

"So he said 'Fine', and he then brought his car - I think it was the Chrysler.

"I met Greg and Chris Jefferies at the edge of the property and walked toward the car.

"I got Chris Jeffries to position his car so the bonnets were alongside each other.

"Greg's car was in the gutter of the road, and Chris Jefferies' car was in the road."