Neighbours speak of shock after woman's death in Telford sparks murder probe

It came after West Mercia Police confirmed armed officers had been dispatched to the address following reports of a "disturbance" at around 5am on Sunday.

The force said that after arriving at the scene they discovered a 58-year-old woman had "sustained serious injuries" and was pronounced dead, while another man was also found with serious injuries.

A 31-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of murder, and was yesterday still in custody.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said two ambulances and a paramedic officer were sent to the scene where they found a man and a woman.

A spokeswoman said: "Sadly, it quickly became apparent that nothing could be done to the save the woman and she was confirmed dead at the scene. The man was treated by ambulance crews for serious injuries and taken to Prince Royal Hospital in Telford for further treatment."

In the wake of the incident police moved to reassure residents of the quiet suburban area that it was an "isolated" incident with no "wider risk".

Detective Chief Inspector Tony Garner said: "This is a shocking incident and our thoughts go out to the family of the woman who lost her life.

"I understand that incidents of this nature can be alarming, but would like to reassure the local community that this is an isolated incident and there is no wider risk to the public.

"Our officers remain at the scene and you may see an increased police presence in the area over the coming days as our investigation continues."

The property, which is only a few hundred metres from a children's play park, was taped off and guarded, with a heavy police presence in the area throughout Sunday.

Forensics teams could be seen working at the scene wearing plastic suits, with the front door to the property appearing to have been smashed open.

Officers could be seen removing a number of items from the home in plastic bags, while police had also put up warning signs on the track that runs behind the home.

Neighbours said they were shocked at what had happened, describing the area as “lovely,” adding “nothing happens here”.

One resident said a couple had lived at the property for a long time, and added: "It’s not the kind of thing you expect to happen in a place like this.”

A number of neighbours said they had been woken by the sounds of police arriving at the scene, with several describing the moment armed police crashed through the front door of the home.

They said officers could be heard shouting to open the door to the house before shouting that they were ‘coming in’ and smashing the the front door down.

Anyone with information that can help the police investigation is asked to report it using the ‘Tell Us About’ section of the West Mercia Police website quoting reference 112i of July 30.

Alternatively people can call 101, or the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on the 0800 555111 hotline, or via the crimestoppers-uk.org website.