Police arrest 2 men near home of singer Joss Stone
LONDON (AP) - Stone said in a statement that she was "absolutely fine and getting on with life as normal" as police faced a deadline to charge or release the suspects...J
LONDON (AP) — Two men have been arrested near Joss Stone’s home on suspicion of conspiracy to rob and murder, after reportedly being found in a car with swords, rope, a body bag and plans of the soul singer’s secluded house.
Stone said in a statement that she was “absolutely fine and getting on with life as normal” as police faced a deadline to charge or release the suspects.
Devon and Cornwall Police said the men, aged 30 and 33, and from the Manchester area of northwest England, were arrested Monday morning near Stone’s house in Cullompton, 175 miles (280 kilometers) southwest of London, after residents reported a suspicious-looking vehicle.
Detective Inspector Steve Parker said the men “had in their possession information relating to an individual in the Cullompton area and items which lead us to suspect that they may have intended to commit a criminal offense.”
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The force would not confirm a report in The Sun newspaper that the men had swords, rope and a body bag, as well as maps and aerial photos of Stone’s property.
Parker said it was “important to stress that no properties have been burgled and no individuals have been harmed.”
Two police officers stood guard Wednesday outside the gates to the house, which is on a quiet country road.
Stone’s London publicists, DWL, said the singer was aware of the arrests and was being kept up to date by the police.
They would not say whether 24-year-old Stone was at home when the men were arrested.
The suspects were being questioned Wednesday at a police station. Police have until 7:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. EDT) Wednesday to charge or release them.
Stone came to fame in 2003 as a small-town teenager with a big, soulful voice, showcased on her best-selling debut album “The Soul Sessions” and hit singles including “Fell In Love With A Boy.”
She won a Grammy Award in 2007 in the R&B category for her collaboration with John Legend and Van Hunt on a cover of Sly and the Family Stone’s “Family Affair,” and is a member of rock supergroup Super Heavy with Rolling Stone Mick Jagger, reggae scion Damian Marley and Dave Stewart of Eurythmics.
She has also taken acting roles, including that of Henry VIII’s fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, in TV drama “The Tudors.”
With a fortune estimated last month by the Sunday Times Rich List at 9 million pounds ($14.6 million), she still lives in the rural southwestern county of Devon where she was raised.
She is a friend of Prince William and was a guest at his wedding to Kate Middleton in April.
Stone is due to start a European tour in July.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
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