A WOMAN has been arrested after ink was thrown at crime writer Val McDermid during a book signing.

The award-winning author had been holding a signing after giving a lecture at Sunderland University when a woman allegedly covered her in black ink.

Northumbria Police launched an investigation into the attack, which happened on Thursday, December 6, and a force spokesperson said a woman was arrested on Friday and bailed pending further enquiries.

A force spokesman said: "We have arrested a 64-year-old woman from the Hendon area on suspicion of assault and have subsequently bailed her."

Ms McDermid, who created the popular series upon which the ITV series Wire in the Blood was based, told at the time how a woman had asked her to sign a Top of the Pops annual with a picture of Jimmy Savile on it, which she did not want to do.

The 57-year-old, who based one of her characters on the disgraced former television presenter and DJ, eventually signed the book, then allegedly had the ink thrown over her.

Despite the incident she said it would not put her off carrying out signings.

She said: "It was very shocking. I was covered in black ink.

"My clothes were completely ruined, it was all over my face and in my mouth.

"I have been doing this for 25-years and I've never had anything like this happen.

"It wouldn't put me off doing book signings because the overwhelming majority of people who come to my events are readers who are intelligent people."