A Surbiton man wanted in connection with his mother’s murder was arrested in Spain for allegedly threatening a clerk at a hostel with a knife, the Kingston Guardian has learned.

Sean Heiss, 28, was arrested by Basque police at a hostel in the coastal city of San Sebastian at about 1am on June 21, but released three hours later, police in Spain have said.

Detectives want to speak to Mr Heiss about the murder of Margot Sheehy, found dead by work colleagues in her flat in Springfield Road in Kingston on June 12.

Spanish police said he was due to appear before a court in Spain in connection with the alleged offence on September 11, though his current whereabouts were not known.

Scotland Yard had issued a statement on June 22 saying Mr Heiss, who lived in The Sheraton flats, at the top of St Mark’s Hill, was in custody in Spain but in fact he had been released at least 24 hours earlier.

The blue notice warrant was circulated by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (Soca).

A Soca spokesman said they refused to comment on ongoing investigations but said: “If we get information that we believe is relevant to an extraditing force it is always passed on as a matter of urgency.

“Our role is to pass on that information and that is what we did in this instance.”

The British Embassy was not informed that Mr Heiss was arrested in Spain despite a consulate agreement between the two countries, a spokesman for the Foreign Office confirmed.

A spokeswoman for the Met said: “The Metropolitan Police were told a 28-year-old man was in custody by the Serious Organised Crime Authority (Soca). For the reason he was released please refer to the Spanish authorities.”

According to neighbours police battered down the door of his top floor flat on Thursday, June 14.

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said forensics officer were also at the flat.

He said: “The detective asked me when they emptied the bins and I told him about 10 minutes before you arrived. They were up there for hours.”