Tommy Ward murder investigation: Police issue update after arrest over death of Maltby pensioner

South Yorkshire Police announced on Monday that they had arrested a 36-year-old Rotherham woman on suspicion of murder, as part of the investigation into the death of Tommy Ward, who died in 2016.

Tommy, from Salisbury Road, Maltby, Rotherham, died five months after being taken to hospital after an attacked in his own home, and experts said the death was a result of the injuries the 80-year-old had suffered in the incident on October 1, 2015.

He suffered life threatening injuries including a fractured skull, broken ribs and a broken jaw and died a few months later.

A safety deposit box containing around £30,000 in cash was also reportedly taken from the 80-year-old’s home during the incident.

Today South Yorkshire Police issued an update following the arrest

The force said in a short statement: “I can confirm that the woman arrested has been bailed pending further enquiries.”

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Detectives previously arrested 10 men and one woman on suspicion of a number of offences in connection with the murder.

All were later released with no further action.

In 2016, DCI Vicky Short, the detective who investigated the case on behalf of South Yorkshire Police, described the murder of the former soldier and miner as ‘horrendous, so unnecessary and so pointless’.