Four people were in police custody last night in connection with the theft of a pensioner's body from a grave in Staffordshire.

Detectives investigating the disappearance of 82-year-old Gladys Hammond's body from St Peter's Church, Yoxall, near Burton-upon-Trent, made the arrests in Manchester and the Midlands between 6.30am and 7am yesterday.

Three men and one woman were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to blackmail David Hall and Partners, who own the family-run guinea pig breeding farm in Newchurch, Staffordshire. Police confirmed they had all been arrested before in connection with the inquiry.

A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: "Warrants were executed at four addresses in Manchester and the Midlands resulting in the arrests of three men and a woman.

"They were a 36-year-old man in Edgbaston, a 38-yearold man in Wolverhampton, a 35-year-old man in Manchester and a 37-year-old woman in Burntwood, Staffordshire."

All four were taken to a police station in Staffordshire, where they were being held last night for further questioning.

A 23- year- woman was arrested at the Wolverhampton address on suspicion of obstructing police and assaulting an officer. She was later released on police bail pending further enquiries.

The arrests come a month after the Hall family announced their decision to close the business following a six-year hate campaign by animal rights extremists.

Brothers Christopher and John Hall, who inherited the farm from their father David 30 years ago, said at the time that they hoped their decision would prompt grave robbers to return the body of Mrs Hammond, Christopher Hall's mother-in-law.

Yesterday's police raid was led by officers from Staffordshire Police's major investigation department, which is continuing to investigate the desecration of Mrs Hammond's grave on October 6, 2004.

The theft of Mrs Hammond's body shocked residents in Newchurch, who had seen a sustained campaign of intimidation by extremists.