DETECTIVES were due to arrest a man suspected of murdering a fellow crew member aboard Queen Mary 2 when the superliner docked this morning.

The 48-year-old Filipino suspect had been detained in the ship's jail under the Merchant Shipping Act since the incident on Friday afternoon.

As previously reported in the Daily Echo, four detectives and three crime scene investigators had been sent to lead the inquiry as the luxury liner is registered in Southampton.

They have spent the last four days carrying out a forensic examination of the scene and interviewing passengers aboard QM2 on her return journey to the south coast.

A Hampshire police spokesman confirmed the suspect was due to be arrested once the ship docked in the city at about 6am today. He will then be questioned by detectives.

Police have also released the name of the dead man. He was 39-year-old Joel Jagatin Tagaan from the Philippines.

Mr Tagaan was airlifted from the ship following the incident but died en route to hospital in the Netherlands. He worked as an electrician on the liner.

A post-mortem was carried out yesterday afternoon.