The mother of Shannon Matthews has been arrested in connection with the alleged kidnap of her daughter, sources have confirmed.

West Yorkshire Police would say officially only that a 32-year-old woman was arrested in Dewsbury last night on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, and was being questioned at a police station in the county. However, it is believed that the woman arrested is Shannon’s mother, Karen Matthews.

West Yorkshire Police said thatno further details concerning the woman’s arrest were expected to be released until lunchtime today.

The arrest comes as it was revealed that Michael Donovan, who has been charged with Shannon’s kidnap and imprisonment, slit his wrists while on remand at Leeds Prison.

Mr Donovan, 39, was arrested on March 14 after Shannon was found at his flat. Formerly known as Paul Drake, he is the uncle of Craig Meehan, who is Karen Matthews's boyfriend.

He is custody awaiting trial, provisionally set for November at Leeds Crown Court. The incident reportedly happened on Saturday night and he was taken to hospital before being returned to prison.

A Prison Service spokesman said: "A prisoner from Leeds was taken to outside hospital overnight following a case of serious self-harm. Staff responded to the incident promptly and with great professionalism and the prisoner has now been returned to HMP Leeds."

Shannon, 9, went missing in Dewsbury on February 19 and was discovered in the base of a bed at an address only one mile from her home, after a 24-day police search involving hundreds of officers and a team of 60 detectives.

The 32-year-old woman arrested yesterday is the latest person to be questioned in relation to the alleged abduction.

Meehan’s sister, Amanda Hyett, 25, who lives next door to Shannon’s mother in Moorside Road, and his mother, Alice Meehan, 49, were both arrested in connection with the alleged abduction.

The women were held last Thursday, the younger on suspicion of assisting an offender, and her mother on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course of justice. The pair were granted bail the following day, pending further inquiries.

Mr Meehan, 22, appeared at Dewsbury Magistrates Court last week, separately charged with 11 counts of possessing indecent images of children. He was remanded in custody to appear again before the same court on April 11.

This morning, two uniformed police officers stood on guard at the gate of Mrs Matthews’s home on Moorside Road.

Plain-clothes officers visited the house next door — belonging to Mr Meehan’s sister and brother-in-law, Amanda and Neil Hyett — and emerged a short time later carrying a computer in a clear plastic bag.

A few doors away, Mrs Matthews’s cousin, Vicky Saunders, said that she heard the news of the latest arrest at 4am after she had finished working a night shift.

Ms Saunders said: "I was just shocked. I can’t believe it myself. I was with Karen when Shannon first went missing, I went and helped, she was in a state."

Ms Saunders described Mrs Matthews as a good mother. "She loves all her kids, no matter what. It’s just upsetting," she said.

She added that the community spirit on the estate was still as strong as ever. "We’re all sticking together like we did when she went missing. Unless anyone’s been charged or proven I’m still sticking by everybody. We’re still all friends on this street."

Petra Jamieson, 30, a friend and neighbour, also backed Mrs Matthews, and said that the arrest had left the community feeling confused. "She’s my best friend, I’m not going to let her down now when she needs a friend the most," she said.

"Everyone’s feeling probably exactly the same, crushed, all the news that’s come out since Wednesday, everyone’s had mixed emotions. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster, not just for me, but for everyone, especially the kids."

She continued: "We’re all parents on this estate so we feel exactly the same. It just keeps getting worse and worse and worse, a nightmare, it just doesn’t seem to be ending."

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