A 21-year-old man has been arrested by detectives investigating the death of a farmer's wife who collapsed after a diesel raid at her home.
The man was held on suspicion of assault, theft, and theft of a motor vehicle by officers investigating the death of Rosemary Dove, 68.
Durham Police said he was arrested after a car was stopped on the outskirts of Coundon, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham.
A Durham Police spokesman said: "A 21-year-old local man was arrested by police after a car was stopped on the outskirts of Coundon. The suspect, a passenger in the car, was arrested on suspicion of assault, theft, and theft of a motor vehicle. The man is currently being held at Bishop Auckland police station for questioning."
Earlier, police revealed they had found the thieves' battered getaway truck. The silver Mitsubishi L200 "Animal" pick-up was discovered burnt out on remote land on Monday night around 10 miles from where Mrs Dove died.
Police believe national and local television reports led the thieves to panic and destroy the truck, which had been stolen from Coundon Industrial Estate at about 1pm last Friday, in an attempt to hide evidence.
Mrs Dove collapsed after running inside the family home when she and husband Frank, 67, returned home from an agricultural show in Scotland to find thieves stealing fuel.
The raid at East House Farm in Bishop Middleham, County Durham, comes at a time of record fuel prices, with diesel as much as 1.31p a litre on the forecourts.
