A husband was being held on suspicion of murder after his young's wife's body was found at their home.

Johanna Croxton, 21-year-old mother of a 14-month-old baby girl, was reported missing on Friday last week.

Police broke into their terraced home opposite a church in Hastings on Wednesday and discovered the body inside.

Later that day, detectives arrested her 24-year-old husband Jonathan at an address in Eastbourne.

It was understood last night that relatives were caring for the couple's child.

Mrs Croxton's body was still in the house in Plynlimmon Road, in West Hill, last night. Scenes of crime experts worked through the day gathering evidence.

The suspect, believed to be known as Jonathan Phillips, was being detained at a Sussex Police custody centre. Police were seeking an extension to further detain him last night.

Four police vehicles, including two from the force scientific support branch, were parked outside the family home opposite Emmanuel Church yesterday. Two exotic budgerigars, believed to belong to the Phillips family, sat shivering in a cage in the back of a police Land Rover.

The couple had been together several years but only married in the summer.

Neighbours were stunned. Pearl Kenning said: "I'm in shock because I've only just heard. I didn't know her terribly well, only as a neighbour, but found her a very pleasant young lady, a very lovely girl.

"They seemed like a lovely family and were good neighbours. My kitchen is being done and last week I was without my cooker for a couple of days and Jonathan even offered to cook me dinner when he saw me at the shop.

"I know he would have done it, too. He was very friendly, always very pleasant. Apparently there was an argument on Thursday night."

Neighbour Clare Murray added: "She was just a very nice young girl, very petite. A puff of wind would blow her over.

"She was so lovely and she thought the world of her baby. He was a doting dad too.

"It's completely shocking."

The young couple moved into the street only last Christmas. They held their wedding reception at the house.

Mrs Murray said: "We didn't go round each other's houses as such but we went round when it was the baby's birthday. We talked about babies a lot. It was fun."

Police appealed to anyone with information to call 0845 6070999.