Bushey manhunt latest: Triple murder suspect Kyle Clifford 'armed ...

Hertfordshire police and crime commissioner Jonathan Ash-Edwards said: “My thoughts are with the family and friends of the women who have been shockingly killed in this terrible incident in Bushey.

“It will no doubt send shockwaves through the local community and across Hertfordshire.

“I am being kept updated by the police and I urge the public to support the police with any information about the whereabouts of the named suspect.”

Here is the full statement from superintendent Jon Simpson at the press conference held moments ago:

“Police were called to a property in Ashlyn Close, just before 7pm last night. Officers attended alongside colleagues in the East of England Ambulance Service and on arrival found three women with serious injuries.

“Sadly despite their best efforts, the women – who are believed to be related – died a short time later at the scene. The victims are aged 25, 28 and 61. Our overarching objective today is to protect public safety and to locate Kyle Clifford, who is wanted in connection with the murder of the three women, in what we believe is a targeted incident.

“We have extensive police resources deployed to various locations in north London and also the Bushey area of Hertfordshire. The manhunt also involves armed police officers and specialist search teams responding at pace in the wake of what has been a horrific incident, involving what is currently believed to be a crossbow, but other weapons may also have been used.

“If members of the public see Kyle Clifford they are urged not to approach him at any point, and to dial 999 immediately. Kyle, if you are seeing or hearing this, please make contact with the police via 999

“Beyond the immediate search operation, a major crime inquiry has been launched and we also appeal to the public for any information relating to the incident. This incident will be of course of concern to local residents. Additional local officers will be in the area today so please do speak to them if you need to.”

Kyle Clifford has been urged to make contact with the police.

In a direct plea to the subject of the current manhunt, superintendent Jon Simpson said: “Kyle, if you are seeing or hearing this, please make contact with the police via 999.”

Other weapons besides a crossbow may have been used in the triple murder, police have said.

Superintendent Jon Simpson told a press conference: “Our overarching objective today is to protect public safety and to locate Kyle Clifford, who is wanted in connection with the murder of the three women, in what we believe is a targeted incident.

“We have extensive police resources deployed to various locations in north London and also the Bushey area of Hertfordshire.

“The manhunt also involves armed police officers and specialist search teams responding at pace in the wake of what has been a horrific incident, involving what is currently believed to be a crossbow, but other weapons may also have been used.”

The three female victims in the triple murder are aged 25, 28 and 61, Hertsfordshire Police superintendent Jon Simpson has told a press conference.

A resident of Ashlyn Close in Bushey where police are investigating the murders of three women said they heard screaming on Tuesday evening as the “absolutely traumatic” incident unfolded.

The 46-year-old, who did not wish to share their name but works in the media, said: “It was between 6.30pm and 7pm last night and it literally just sounded like kids, somebody, screaming, and then it was more shrill and I was like, ‘that’s definitely a woman screaming’, and within 15 minutes, it was absolute chaos.

“We had armed police running down, screaming ‘stay in your house’ ... they shut us off and basically put us into lockdown.”

The resident said multiple ambulances, helicopters and “at least 16 police cars” arrived at the scene quickly, with armed police going from house to house to question locals, request doorbell camera footage and tell them to stay indoors.

The woman said she was upset and stressed to know a man sought in connection with the triple murder is still at large, adding: “It’s really, really stressful now to think that that happened in such a close vicinity and none of us were aware and none of us could help.

“It’s just absolutely traumatic, I think, for the family involved, for everyone.

“I think that’s the stressful thing, that it happened at peak family time between 6pm and 7pm, when people were probably cooking for their kids and getting their kids ready for bed, and all of us in a tight little road, completely unaware of the trauma and tragic circumstances that other people were going through at that particular time.”

Resident Jill Phillips, a 70-year-old who lives nearby, told The Independent: “I am shocked beyond measure.

“We are just a quiet area so to hear all this is just shocking. I am horrified and feel sorry for the family.”

Home secretary Yvette Cooper has said she is being kept “fully updated” on the investigation.

Ms Cooper said: “The loss of three women’s lives in Bushey last night is truly shocking. My thoughts are with the family & friends of those who have been killed [and] with the community.

“I am being kept fully updated. I urge people to support [Hertsfordshire Police] with any information about this case.”

Local councillor Lawrence Brass, who lives close by the scene in Bushey, said: “I didn’t know them personally but I knocked on their door, I was canvassing a few days ago for the general election.

“I’m sure that their friends will be comforting the remains of the family that are left. These are all my representatives, I know them all.

“At 7pm last night a helicopter landed on the lawn in the development I live in which is 100 yards away from here, but it was an air ambulance, I’m told, and then rumours started circulating about a crossbow.

“The worst thing that’s ever happened in this part of Bushey is a bit of illegal flytipping and then suddenly we get three murders and we’re all a bit shellshocked.

“This is a very traditional, quiet, leafy suburb, we don’t get this sort of thing in this area and I want residents to know that the council will be ensuring that the liaison team is down here and doing everything they can to comfort them and make sure that they are reassured that everything is being done.

“But we’re worried that this guy is still floating around somewhere.”