A community in Somerset is reeling after a nine-year-old girl was fatally stabbed at a house on a quiet residential street in Weston-super-Mare.
Police and Paramedics Rush to Scene
Emergency services were called to a property on Lime Close in the Mead Vale area at 6.09pm on Monday, 15 December. Paramedics from the South Western Ambulance Service were first on the scene, requesting police assistance. The first officer arrived just three minutes later, at 6.12pm.
Despite the efforts of medics, who performed CPR, the young girl was pronounced dead at the address. The ambulance service had deployed two crews, a critical care car, and a specialist Hazardous Area Response Team to the incident.
Swift Arrest in Connection with Murder
In a rapid development, a teenage boy was arrested at 6.19pm near Worle railway station, less than half a mile from the scene. He remains in police custody, detained on suspicion of murder.
Avon and Somerset Police have launched a major investigation, with officers from the Major Crime Investigation Team conducting house-to-house enquiries and speaking to neighbours. A police cordon remains in place on Lime Close as forensic work continues.
An eyewitness reported seeing police with sniffer dogs, believed to be searching for a weapon. The woman told a local Facebook group that an officer with a Belgian Malinois dog advised her to cross the road while the search was underway.
Community Shock and Plea for Respect
Superintendent Jen Appleford expressed the force's profound sorrow, stating the whole of Weston-super-Mare would be "distraught and shocked" by the "utterly dreadful news".
The girl's family have been informed and are receiving support from a specially-trained officer. Supt Appleford extended the force's heartfelt condolences, acknowledging the family's unimaginable pain and anguish.
She issued a direct plea to the public: "Out of respect for the family we'd please ask people not to speculate on the circumstances, or the identities of those involved, because that will only add to their enormous distress."
The formal identification process and a post-mortem examination are yet to be completed. Police have reassured residents that they are not aware of any increased risk to public safety, but confirmed there will be a heightened police presence in the area in the coming days to offer reassurance.
Supt Appleford expressed confidence that the community would come together in the face of the tragedy, and urged anyone with concerns to speak to officers.
