Two pensioners have been arrested in Gravesend in connection with the murder of a teenager who went missing more than 30 years ago.

Police investigating the disappearance of Harbans Kaur Lally in 1985 arrested a 75-year-old man on suspicion of murder and a 74-year-old woman on suspicion of conspiracy to murder on Monday.

A 53-year-old man was also arrested on the same day in Birmingham on suspicion of perjury.

He has been released under investigation, and the Gravesend man and woman have been released on bail pending further enquiries.

This West Yorkshire Police investigation comes after officers received information concerning Harbans' disappearance - which is now being treated as a suspected murder.

Harbans, who was also known as Susan and had the maiden name Ranu, was 19 years old when she went missing.

She worked at the head office of the Burton Group in Leeds until April 1985 and gave birth to a daughter in July that year.

Officers said she was born in Rugby, Warwickshire, and grew up and went to school there. She married there in February 1984 and moved to Leeds some time later.

Police believe Harbans, who was Sikh, returned to Rugby in 1985 and disappeared after that, possibly after travelling to India.

Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Bryar, of the homicide and major enquiry team, said: “We have recently received information that raises concerns about Harbans’ apparent disappearance, which we are now treating as a murder investigation.

“We are currently trying to build up a picture of her life at the time she disappeared and we are very keen to hear from anyone with any information that could assist us.

“We would like to speak to anyone who knew Harbans, who was also known as Susan, when she lived and worked in Leeds in 1984 to 1985, and also anyone who knew her when she was growing up in Rugby, either through school or in the area she lived. We are particularly interested to speak to anyone who knew her when she returned there in 1985.

“We would like to reassure people that we will treat all information in the strictest confidence and would urge anyone who does know something that could assist the investigation to contact us.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact West Yorkshire Police homicide and major enquiry team via 101 quoting Operation Parryton, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.