Shocked neighbours say a ‘murder’ in the heart of their quiet community shows “it could happen anywhere”.
Detectives have launched a murder investigation into the death of a woman in her 50s in a flat in Abingdon.
At least five police cars and two ambulances descended on Spenlove Close yesterday afternoon (Thursday, February 9).
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Thames Valley Police confirmed today a 50-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of murder.
It has left residents of the brick apartment blocks in the close off Dunmore Road in a state of “massive shock”.
Richard King, 61, who has lived there since 1989, said he didn’t think it was the kind of estate where a ‘murder’ could happen.
He told the Oxford Mail: “It’s a massive shock to hear.
“It’s a lovely quiet area. You never hear any screaming matches or anything. It shows it could happen anywhere.
“I’m 61 and she was in 50s… that’s terrible.”
Mr King did not know the victim, but claimed he saw coroners taking her body out of the building and into a van.
“I came home last night and there were four police cars so I figured it was something serious,” he said.
“Police did door-to-door knocking, asking if we’d heard or seen anything, which they wouldn’t have done if it wasn’t serious.”
“And when I was going to bed, I saw the coroner loading a body into a van.
“Obviously they waited to do that until people were asleep.”
Two police vehicles were still at the scene this morning and officers were guarding a block of flats in the corner of the close.
A man, who lives in the block where the woman died, said police wouldn’t tell him what had happened.
“The first thing I saw was loads of police at around 3pm,” said the man, who asked not to be named.
“They came into our block but wouldn’t say what had happened. It’s a real shock. We just keep to ourselves here.”
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An elderly couple on the estate told this newspaper forensics had still been at the scene this morning.
The husband, who also asked to remain anonymous, said: “I went and asked what was going on, and the police officer said there had been an incident but there was no risk of harm to anybody else.
“We heard from someone else that a man had been arrested and forensics are still here this morning.”
Police have told residents in the close there is no risk to the wider community.
Supt Lewis Prescott-Mayling, local policing area commander for South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse, said: “There will be officers remaining at the location in the coming days while our investigation continues.”
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