Hayley Richards's throat was cut

The body of 23-year-old Miss Richards, who was three months pregnant, was discovered at her flat in Trowbridge on 11 June.

Her ex-boyfriend, Portuguese national Hugo Quintas, was arrested in the Basque region of Spain on Tuesday.

Police had earlier named him as their prime suspect.

Mr Quintas is expected to appear before a court in Madrid on Friday.

'False statements'

If he accepts the conditions of the European arrest warrant he could be returned to Britain within days, but if he opposes it, it could be some weeks before he is returned for questioning.

Adjourning the inquest, Wiltshire coroner David Masters said he was anxious to release Miss Richards' body to allow her family to hold a funeral, but could not release it immediately until more information was available.

Two other men have been questioned by police in connection with Miss Richards' death.

Joaquim Sergio Da Cunha, 29, has been remanded in custody until 24 June, charged with perverting the course of justice.

Mr Da Cunha is accused of cleaning Ms Richards' flat, cleaning clothes and making false statements to police to obstruct their inquiries.

A 38-year-old Portuguese man has been released on police bail until the first week of July, pending further inquiries.

Det Supt Mike Veale, senior investigating officer said: "We are continuing our very close liaison with Interpol and other agencies to facilitate the early return of Hugo Quintas to the UK."