Woman, 26, arrested in hunt for hospital killer

ARREST: Stepping Hill Hospital where police have been investigating the deaths of three patients.

A NURSE has been arrested by detectives investigating the deaths of three patients after saline was sabotaged at a hospital.

The woman, aged 26, was arrested at her home and held on suspicion of murder. She is now in custody and being questioned by detectives probing the contamination of saline solution at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport.

The arrest comes as a fourth patient, a man in his 40s, was critically ill.

Police said yesterday they feared the suspect who sabotaged saline containers with insulin may still be stalking the corridors of the hospital.

The critically–ill patient is part of a complex investigation with 60 detectives questioning more than 50 staff at the hospital, with wards A1 and A3 the centre of the investigation.

Police said yesterday they were working on the assumption that the contamination had taken place within the hospital.

But officers said they could not rule out the person responsible may have been a visitor to the site.

The unexplained deaths of Tracey Arden, 44, George Keep, 84, and Arnold Lancaster, 71, are being linked to the contamination of the saline solution.

They are among a total of 14 patients whose treatment since July 7 was being examined by police.

Detectives were called in after an experienced nurse reported a higher than normal number of patients on her ward with "unexplained" low blood sugar levels, pointing to the saline ampoules being sabotaged.

Officers found insulin had contaminated a batch of 36 saline ampoules in a storeroom close to ward A1 of the hospital.

The three deaths remain unexplained as detectives await the results of further pathology tests to find out if the insulin contributed.

Inquests into the deaths of all three victims were opened and adjourned by South Manchester coroner John Pollard yesterday.