Brother held over Alps family murder

POLICE in Surrey have arrested the 54-year-old brother of businessman Saad al-Hilli, who was killed with his wife, her mother and a French cyclist near Annecy last September.

Zaïd al-Hilli had previously been questioned by British police and was arrested this morning in Chessington on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

French police previously questioned him over an alleged dispute with his brother over a large inheritance from their father.

Annecy prosecutor Eric Maillaud has already said he wants UK police to ask al-Hilli why he made a series of phone calls to Romania and has asked Romanian authorities for information on the numbers dialled.

Seven-year-old Zainab al-Hilli and sister Zeena were the only survivors of the attack in the French Alps last September when Saad al-Hilli, his wife Iqbal, her mother Suhaila al-Allaf and French cyclist Sylvain Mollier were killed in what seemed an execution-style killing .