The husband of an Emmy award-winning make-up artist who was rearrested hours after human remains were found in woodland faces further questioning today.

David Chenery-Wickens, 51, was held last night by detectives investigating the disappearance of 48-year-old Diane Chenery-Wickens in January.

He had previously been arrested on suspicion of her murder and had his police bail extended to May 30, pending further inquiries.

Sources said he was rearrested hours after the discovery yesterday morning of a decomposed body off Worth Lane in the village of Little Horsted, near Uckfield.

The family of Mrs Chenery-Wickens were informed of the discovery of the body as inquiries continued to determine whether or not it is her and the cause of death.

Police say it may take some time for forensic and post-mortem examinations to be carried out on the body, which was found about eight miles from Mrs Chenery-Wickens' home in Duddleswell.

The body, which was clothed and appeared to be a woman, was concealed in undergrowth about 10 yards from Worth Lane.

Speaking at the scene, Detective Chief Inspector Steve Johns, of Sussex Police's major crime branch, told reporters yesterday: "I don't want to make any assumption that this is Diane Chenery-Wickens.

"We must keep an open mind and see how the inquiry unfolds over the next 24 hours or so. Diane's family are aware that we have discovered a body and we will keep them updated if we get a formal identification."

Mrs Chenery-Wickens, who worked on shows including Dead Ringers, The League Of Gentlemen and Casualty, was reported missing by her husband on January 24 after she failed to attend a meeting at the BBC in London.

In the past few months, specialist search teams have examined sites based on "specific information" in the 6,500-acre Ashdown Forest on the Kent/East Sussex border.

Searches have also taken place at the couple's country home in Duddleswell and surrounding woodland.

Police said the area where the body was found had not been searched before in connection with Mrs Chenery-Wickens' disappearance but had been considered for examination.

Mr Johns appealed to anyone to contact police who may have seen anything suspicious since January in and around the lane where the body was found.

The disappearance of Mrs Chenery-Wickens has been described as totally out of character by friends and relatives.

Her passport and driving licence were found at her home, along with other personal belongings.

And despite analysing hours of CCTV footage, police have said none of it featured Mrs Chenery-Wickens.

Speaking to reporters in February, her brother Russell Wickens said the family were bracing themselves for the worst.

Mr Wickens, a consultant, said her disappearance was causing extreme concern to their retired parents, John and Joan.

He described his sister as a "much-loved and likeable" person who would not want to worry her family. As far as they were aware, there was nothing troubling her, he added.

Mrs Chenery-Wickens won a prestigious Emmy award in 2000 for her work on Arabian Nights.

And in 2003 she was nominated for a Bafta in the make-up and hair design category for her work on Dead Ringers, missing out to an artist on Little Britain.

Dead Ringers impressionist Jon Culshaw made a televised appeal for help in finding Mrs Chenery-Wickens days after she went missing.

He said: "We knew her really, really well. She has been our make-up artist on our show for about five years.

"We spend a lot of time together and she is a really, really lovely woman, really organised. It's just really out of character which makes it all the more concerning and bewildering.

"You just hope that somewhere there is one of those sensible explanations to this."

Anyone with information is asked to call Sussex Police on 0845 6070 999, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.