Man held over women's deaths

Detectives in Northern Ireland have been given an additional 36 hours to question stone mason Leslie Ross about the deaths of three of his former girlfriends.

The 66-year-old was arrested yesterday morning in the rural town of Dromore and is being held at Antrim police station, where he is being quizzed by officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland's serious crime branch.

A stone mason continues to be held over the suspicious deaths of three of his former girlfriends in a rural town in Northern Ireland.

Leslie Ross, 66, from Dromore, Co Down, was detained in the quiet market town in connection with the three fatal incidents over a 10-year period.

Michelle Bickerstaff, 47, died in April last year; Margaret Weise, 50, in August 2007 and Lily McKee, 52, in December 2002.

The daughter of one of the three women whose deaths are being investigated by police in Northern Ireland has said her mother was in a relationship with suspect Leslie Ross for 11 years.

Jenny Dickson said her mother, Lily McKee, was a "great person" who did charity work and supported the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

She said the divorcee was fun, active and kind, with a good sense of humour, who maintained her own flat in Dromore but lived with Ross from time to time.

"I know that the police have been working hard with these cases and I am not prepared to give any details as I would not want to jeopardise their inquiry and we want to see justice," Ms Dickson added.

The man being questioned tonight about the suspicious deaths of three of his former girlfriends in a rural town in Northern Ireland has been identified as stone mason Leslie Ross.

The 66-year-old, from Meganlis Park not far from Dromore's town square, has been confirmed as the man who was arrested last year in the wake of the death of Michelle Bickerstaff. He was later released unconditionally.

Ms Bickerstaff's death in April last year followed the deaths of Margaret Weise in August 2007 and Lily McKee in December 2002.

Today's arrest of Ross came after detectives carried out a review of the three separate cases.

The 66-year-old man arrested over the deaths of three of his former girlfriends has been taken to Antrim police station to be questioned by district-based detectives.

The investigation is being led by the Lurgan (County Armagh) force rather than specialist officers from Northern Ireland's Serious Crime Branch, which normally heads up probes into major criminal acts in the region.

Police have confirmed a 64-year-old man was arrested following the death of one of the women, 47-year-old Michelle Bickerstaff, in April last year and was later released unconditionally.

The man arrested over the deaths of three of his former girlfriends is also being questioned at Antrim police station about other offences relating to additional women.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland's Serious Crime Branch is providing support to the Lurgan (Co Armagh) based detectives leading the investigation.

The families of the three women who died in suspicious circumstances in Northern Ireland have been informed by police of the arrest of the women's former boyfriend.

It is understood two of the women died after sustaining physical injuries, with officers working to establish how they were caused.

A man has been arrested over the deaths of three of his former girlfriends, all of whom died in the same rural town in Northern Ireland between 2002 and 2012.

The 66-year-old was held in Dromore, County Down, in relation to the deaths of Michelle Bickerstaff, 47, in April last year; Margaret Weise, 50, in August 2007 and Elizabeth McKee, 52, in December 2002.

All three died in suspicious circumstances but the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has not described their deaths as murders.