THE METROPOLITAN POLICE officer suspected of kidnapping and murdering Sarah Everard was taken to hospital for a head injury sustained while in custody.

Scotland Yard said the suspect, who is in his 40s, was treated, discharged and returned to the police station where he is being held.

He was found collapsed and unconscious in his cell on Thursday after suffering serious head wounds, according to the Sun.

The Met said: “The suspect was taken to a hospital for treatment to a head injury sustained while in custody.

“He has since been discharged and returned to custody. We are not prepared to discuss further.”

This evening, the family of Sarah Everard have paid tribute to her as a “shining example to us all”, describing her as a daughter and sister who “brought so much joy to our lives”.

In a statement released on their behalf by the Metropolitan Police, Everard’s family appealed for information to help the force’s investigation.

They said: “Our beautiful daughter Sarah was taken from us and we are appealing for any information that will help to solve this terrible crime.

“Sarah was bright and beautiful – a wonderful daughter and sister. She was kind and thoughtful, caring and dependable. She always put others first and had the most amazing sense of humour.

“She was strong and principled and a shining example to us all. We are very proud of her and she brought so much joy to our lives.

We would like to thank our friends and family for all their support during this awful time and we would especially like to thank Sarah’s friends who are working tirelessly to help.

“We are so grateful to the police and would like to thank them for all they are doing. We are now pleading for additional help from the public.

“Please come forward and speak to the police if you have any information. No piece of information is too insignificant. Thank you.”

Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said last night that human remains – which have not yet been identified – had been found in an area of woodland in Ashford, in Kent, by detectives investigating Everard’s disappearance.

The officer, who is in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, was held on Tuesday night on suspicion of kidnap before being further arrested on suspicion of murder and a separate allegation of indecent exposure the following day.

On the day of Everard’s disappearance, he was reportedly working a 2pm to 8pm relief shift at the US Embassy in Nine Elms, south-west London, around three miles from where she was last seen.

According to unconfirmed reports, detectives are investigating whether he might have used his warrant card to entice Everard towards his car before snatching her.

A woman in her 30s has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Officers removed vehicles from outside a house being searched in Deal, Kent, where the officer is believed to have lived with his wife and two children.