Woman arrested after British father found dead in Tenerife hotel room

Undated family handout photo issued by South Yorkshire Police of of Russell Watts, 63, from Rotherham, who was found dead in his hotel room in Tenerife on January 10. A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder on Wednesday by South Yorkshire Police. Issue date: Wednesday February 25, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Family Handout/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Russell Watts, 63, from Rotherham, who was found dead in his hotel room in Tenerife
(Picture: Family Handout/PA Wire)

Police have arrested a woman after the body of a British father was discovered in his hotel room in Tenerife.

Russell Watts, 63, from Rotherham, was found dead in his room at the Hotel Catalonia Punta Del Rey, in the Candelaria area of the Spanish island, on January 10.

South Yorkshire Police said a 56-year-old woman from Rotherham was arrested on suspicion of murder on Wednesday, and was in police custody.

DCIBen Wood said: ‘This is a complex case and our thoughts first and foremost remain with Russell’s family, friends and loved ones.

‘Our investigation into Russell’s death is still at an early stage and we are carrying out a number of extensive enquiries to piece together the events which led to Russell’s death.

Sign up for all of the latest stories

Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.

‘We are really keen to hear from anyone who was staying in the hotel around the time of Russell’s death.’

An aerial shot taken with my dji mini 3 pro over Candelaria,Tenerife, Canary islands in Spain. This town is famous for its Cathedral, church, and its religious background.Candelaria, also Villa Mariana de Candelaria, is a municipality and city in the eastern part of the island of Tenerife in the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, Spain. The city is located on the coast, 17 km southwest of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.The town is noted by Catholicsin in Spain and Latin America as a place of veneration of the Virgin of Candelaria, the patron of the Canary Islands. The most prominent building is the Basilica of Candelaria, which holds the sculpture of the Virgin Mary and murals. Also highlighted on the square are statues of the nine aboriginal kings of Tenerife
Russell Watts was found dead in Candelaria (Picture: Getty Images)

He added: ‘If you saw something suspicious or have relevant information which could assist our investigation, please report it to us.

‘Even the smallest piece of information could prove crucial and I would implore anyone who may know something to get in contact with us immediately.’

Thrybergh Top Club posted to Facebook, saying Watts had been ‘loved by all and will be greatly missed by all that knew him’.

‘Russ was a character, to say the least, and he brought energy to the club whenever he came in,’ the club added.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *