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STREET SLAUGHTER OF WOMAN AGED 36

MANHUNT AFTER 2.45AM SCREAMS — AND POLICE CANNOT RULE OUT STRANGER ATTACK

John Dunne and Anthony France

A MANHUNT was under way today after a woman was ambushed and killed in the street.

Neighbours told how they were woken by her screams in east London.

Scotland Yard said the 36-year-old suffered serious head injuries in the “horrific assault” as she walked in the direction of Gants Hill station, Ilford, early yesterday. Officers were called to the scene by paramedics who found her at 2.44am. She died later in hospital. No arrests have been made and police were not ruling out that it was a stranger attack. A spokesman declined to comment on the exact nature of the victim’s injuries.

Residents spoke of their “sheer horror” as forensic teams scoured Cranbrook Road for evidence. Detectives carried out door-to-door inquiries and were collecting CCTV footage in the area.

One man, whose house is close to the scene, said: “My neighbour heard a woman screaming. It was very late. The next thing we knew there was a helicopter and police dog barking. When we discovered what happened it was sheer horror.”

A mother of four girls added: “I’m so worried. I’ve told my daughters to be so careful. The attack took place on a busy road. The killer was taking a big risk. It’s horrifying.”

A local shopkeeper said: “We heard she had been to a wedding and was an Asian lady on her way home.”

The woman was the 16th killed in an act of violence in London so far this year — a third of the 50 homicides being investigated by the Met, British Transport and City of London forces. The ratio is higher than the same time last year, when 13 out of 60 victims were female. Campaigners have called for safety improvements following the killings of a number of women in London, including Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa.

Another resident said: “To think that a killer is on the loose and women are being warned to be

careful is terrifying for us. I won’t go out after dark now.”

Another resident added: “I live opposite and saw flashing lights, then a woman was being treated by paramedics. They put her on a stretcher and took her to hospital. We are all reeling from what’s happened on our doorstep.”

One local said: “We are in total disbelief.”

Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell, who leads the Met’s East Area basic command, said: “The woman had been subjected to a horrific assault and sadly passed away as a result of her injuries.

“Urgent inquiries have been under way since the very early hours of Sunday morning to identify the woman. At this time formal identification is yet to take place but the woman’s family have been informed and are receiving support from sp cially-trained officers.

“Teams of dedicated officers are working at pace to establish what happened and identify the person responsible. This includes full forensic examination of the scene and the surrounding area, house-to-house inquiries and a focus on identifying all available CCTV. No arrests have been made at this time.

“Local people will see a significant police presence in the area today and in the coming days.

“I understand that for women, particularly locally, this is an incredibly distressing incident, and I urge you to be alert but not alarmed.”

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers, leading the investigation, added: “It is vital that my officers speak with every possible witness and everyone with information that may assist the investigation.

“We also want to hear from anyone who saw anything suspicious in the wider Ilford area overnight.”

A father living near the scene said he “worries” for other local women, although this was the first serious incident that he could remember in the area for 15 years.

Subhash, 60, who lives off Cranbrook Road, said: “It worries me a little bit that something like that is happening on my doorstep. It’s not just my daughter, it’s other daughters, other girls, other women in the area. It’s quite a serious matter, how safe are you in your own area?”

Meanwhile, police have named a 31-year-old man found stabbed to death in west London.

Karamjeet Singh Reel, from Hounslow, was found with stab wounds and pronounced dead in Staines Road. Anyone with information should call the major incident room on 0208 345 3715 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.C

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2022-06-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-06-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

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