Shannon Matthews Update: Karen Matthews, Her Mother, Has Now Been Arrested

In a shocking twist to the ever unfolding story of the alleged abduction of the nine year old school girl from Yorkshire, Shannon Matthews, the BBC have understood today that now her mother, Karen has been arrested

It is understood this morning by correspondents of the BBC, that Karen Matthews, the 32 year old mother of the former missing school girl, Shannon Matthews has been arrested by West Yorkshire police on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. She was arrested sometime late last night in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire BST. Michael Donovan, 39, who was initially arrested for the abduction has recently returned to a jail in Leeds after a suicide attempt whilst in police custody. He had reportedly slashed his wrists and was saved officers who quickly escorted him to hospital. It is now thought that since the other arrests in the family, Donovan was not working alone in the alleged abduction. According to a spokesperson for the Prison Service, the man who was taken to hospital had suffered "serious self harm." The spokesperson said,

"A prisoner from Leeds was taken to outside hospital overnight following a case of serious self-harm. Staff responded to the incident promptly and with great professionalism and the prisoner has now been returned to HMP Leeds."

According to West Yorkshire police, a full press release will be issued regarding the arrest of the mother, at 12 noon BST today. The woman who has been arrested is said to perfectly match the description of Karen Matthews, the mother of Shannon. Shannon Matthews was missing for 24 days from February to March this year, was found alive in the base of a bed at her uncle's flat - he was hiding in another part of the bed. The man had been the uncle of the missing girl's step father who has also been arrested for possessing images of child porn. Two other women in the step family have also been arrested - 49-year-old Alice Meehan, the mother of Shannon's stepfather, and her sister, 25-year-old Amanda Hyett, were arrested last Friday in connection of the abduction. Both women have since been released on police bail.