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Elderly woman shot dead at Essex care home Elderly woman shot dead at Essex care home
(about 1 hour later)
A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman in her 80s was shot dead at a care home. The pensioner was declared dead at the scene at Delamer House in Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex, police confirmed. A murder inquiry is under way after a women in her 80s was shot dead at a care home in Essex. A man, resident at the same address and who was known to the victim, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder, police said.
Emergency services were called to Delamer House, in Walton-on-the-Naze, shortly after 9am on Monday following reports that a woman had been seriously injured. The pensioner was declared dead at the scene. Police said she is believed to have been shot.
Emergency services were called to the home on Naze Park Road just after 9am on Monday following reports that a woman had been seriously injured. Officers and ambulance crews attended but the woman died. DCI Simon Werrett, leading the investigation, said: “At this stage we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the investigation and our inquiries are ongoing”.
DCI Simon Werrett, who is leading the murder inquiry, said: “At this stage we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the investigation and our inquiries are ongoing.” A police guard has been put in place at the 57-bed premises, on Naze Park Road, while forensic searches are carried out.
A scene guard has been put in place at the premises while forensic searches are conducted. John Knights, who lives nearby, said security was tight at the care home. Local Ukip MP Douglas Carswell said the news was “very shocking”.
Knights, whose wife, Marlene, runs the Bucket and Spade guest house a short distance from Delamer House, said: “My mother had to go into Delamer about two years ago and I can tell you that it was quite tricky to get in and out of there. Security was tight. You couldn’t just go up to the building and get in. “If you have a loved one in a care home, you expect them to be safe. People need to know the exact circumstances of what happened. It is extremely disturbing,” he said.
“You needed a security code ... it had electronic key pads on the door, so to get inside you needed to know those.” “Walton-on-the-Naze is supposed to be one of the most peaceful and tranquil places there is – elderly people want to be in a peaceful and tranquil environment. Of all the places you expect this to happen, this is the last”.
A spokeswoman for the care home said there would be no comment until staff had spoken to police. Carswell added: “I know the care home well, I have been several times. I know the staff are very good people and they must be fairly shocked by this”.
More details soon... Retired financial adviser John Knights, whose wife runs a nearby guest house, said security at the care home appeared to be tight. “My mother had to go into Delamer about two years ago and I can tell you it was quite tricky to get in and out of there.
“Security was tight. You couldn’t just go up to the building and get in. You needed a security code to get in. It had electronic keypads on the door, so to get inside you needed to know those. Whoever was responsible must have known the code.”
There was no immediate comment from the care home.