'Saudi prince' quizzed over murder of strangled servant found in London hotel

A man claiming to be a member of the Saudi royal family is being quizzed by police on suspicion of murder after one of his servants was found strangled at a top London hotel.

Officers were called to the five-star Landmark Hotel in Marylebone, Central London, after a 32-year-old Saudi Arabian man was found dead in a suite by a maid.

The victim, believed to be part of the royal's entourage, suffered severe head injuries in the attack.

Last night detectives were questioning a 33-year-old man who told them he was a prince of the Saudi royal family.

He was arrested several hours after the discovery of the body at an address in Westminster.

One insider said the man had been staying at the Landmark for the past month.

He is believed to have been in London as a tourist and flew around the world accompanied by his aide.

The suspect told police he was a cousin of King Abdullah.

Sources said that it appeared he was a middle-ranking member of the royal house of Saud.

The man is not covered by diplomatic immunity, police sources said, following his arrest on Monday evening.

Paramedics had earlier been called to a third-floor room of the hotel where they found the man dead.

A post mortem examination found the victim died as a result of 'manual compression of the neck' and that he also suffered head injuries.

Yard sources confirmed that the case is being treated as a murder inquiry. More