Brother of former EastEnders actress charged with murder

The brother of a former EastEnders actress whose headless body was found dumped in a canal will appear in court today charged with her murder.

By The Newsroom

Published 12th Mar 2012, 08:42 BST

Gemma McCluskie’s limbless torso was discovered floating close to Hackney’s Broadway Market after she attended a high-profile hospital opening ceremony in east London last Thursday.

Her 35-year-old brother Tony was formally charged by police on Saturday night as divers continued their searches for Miss McCluskie’s remaining body parts.

He will appear in custody at Thames Magistrates’ Court, Scotland Yard said.

Miss McCluskie, 29, who played Kerry Skinner in the BBC soap in 2001, disappeared after attending the opening of the new £650m Royal London Hospital, in Whitechapel, east London.

She was reported missing to police two days later.

Miss McCluskie’s remains were discovered on Tuesday when a member of the public reported a suspicious object in Regent’s Canal.

Tony McCluskie, of Pelter Street, Hackney, was arrested on Wednesday.

London BBC