Police raid family home of X Factor star Ella Henderson as her parents are held on suspicion of money laundering Officers swoop on two houses in Lincolnshire worth a total of £1million Sean and Michelle Henderson arrested over money-laundering allegations Ella, 17, shot to fame with moving performances on The X Factor last year By Chris Brooke and Hugo Gye Police today raided the family home of X Factor star Ella Henderson and arrested her parents in a major money-laundering investigation. Officers swooped on two large detached homes owned by the singer's father Sean Henderson, 47, and mother Michelle, 49, in the leafy village of Tetney, near Grimsby, early this morning. They had warrants to search the two luxury homes - estimated to be worth more than £1million between them. Raid: Police sorting through boxes at the home of X Factor star Ella Henderson today Investigation: The star's parents Sean and Michelle were arrested as police searched the property It is understood Mrs Henderson was arrested after officers arrived in force at around 6am at Tetney Manor, the £650,000 family home they built about five years ago. At least six police vehicles were parked outside the property this morning and officers were seen going in and out carrying bags and boxes in the search for evidence. Mr Henderson - who is also the singer's manager - was arrested in London by officers from the Metropolitan Police force. He was expected to be driven back up north for questioning by Humberside Police. Ella, the 17-year-old singer songwriter who shot to stardom in last year's X Factor series, is currently living in London where she is working on her debut album. She was not available for comment. As well as Tetney Manor, where Ella's parents currently live, the Hendersons own another four-bedroom property where they used to live nearby. Complete with swimming pool and Jacuzzi, it has been put up for sale for offers in excess of £375,000. Star: Miss Henderson, pictured left performing on The X Factor and right with presenter Dermot O'Leary, was tipped to win last year's contest but ended up coming sixth Officers: The raid at the home in Tetney, Lincolnshire was connected to allegations of money laundering A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: "There were police everywhere with cars and flashing blue lights. It was obviously a big raid. The springer spaniel sniffer dogs were out around the house as well. I feel sorry for Ella because this is going to affect her career. She has worked so hard and done so well at such a young age. Another neighbour walking her dog said: "This is such a quiet sleepy village, it is hard to understand what is going on." Officers left after spending up to seven hours searching the properties. A Humberside Police spokeswoman said: "Officers executed warrants at two addresses in Tetney with the assistance of Lincolnshire Police this morning. A 49-year-old woman was arrested at the Tetney address and taken to Grimsby police station to be questioned in connection with money laundering offences. As part of the same inquiry a 47-year-old man has been arrested on behalf of Humberside Police by officers from the Met. He will be questioned by Humberside Police. Swoop: Police raided two homes owned by the Hendersons worth a total of around £1million Claims: The pair are now being questioned by Humberside Police over the allegations Miss Henderson was an early favourite to win The X Factor last year when she auditioned with a song she wrote about the death of her grandfather, in a rendition which many viewers compared to Adele. As one of the youngest contestants in the programme's history aged just 16, she had to reschedule her initial audition because it clashed with one of her GCSE exams. Her second performance, a cover of Cher's hit Believe, was considered so powerful that it reduced judge Nicole Scherzinger to floods of tears. She was voted out of the show before the final in what was considered a shock result, and ended up coming sixth. The show's supremo Simon Cowell was one of many celebrities to express outrage at her early departure, tweeting: 'Ella! Gone? Unbelievable. Miss Henderson was widely praised for her mature reaction to the disappointment, saying that although she was upset she was also grateful for the 'amazing platform' the show gave her, and happy that it gave her the chance to launch her career. Mr Cowell quickly showed his support for the teenager in a more concrete way, signing her to his label SyCo Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony, within weeks of her departure from The X Factor. Playful: Miss Hendeson, 17, posted this photograph to Instagram earlier today despite her parents' arrest Popular: Miss Henderson, pictured at this year's National Television Awards, is working on her debut album The singer has been working with songwriters including Take That's Mark Owen on her debut album, which is set to be released later this year. Although she was romantically linked to two members of Union J, a boyband which also competed on The X Factor last year, she told MailOnline in January that she is single, adding: 'I'm very strongly focused on my music, and need to make sure I lay the foundations for my whole career this year.' Miss Henderson has previously spoken about the influence of her family, saying: "Having my father around me, that will keep me grounded." Speaking to her local newspaper recently, she said: "What I am doing now is an opportunity I have been waiting for my whole life. I am back with my piano where it all began, and I am loving having full control over my album. I hope to have a single out by summer and then the album will follow after that. Ella said she returned home to the Grimsby area whenever she had "a few days off or need a break." I love having that quality time with my brothers and sister, and living in London I miss the Lincolnshire countryside. A spokesman for SyCo declined to comment on the Hendersons' arrest.