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Man arrested after two bodies found in Cardiff city centre Man arrested after two Matalan workers stabbed to death in Cardiff
(35 minutes later)
A man has been arrested after the bodies of two people were found on one of Cardiff’s main shopping streets. A pair of shopworkers have been stabbed to death outside their high-street store as they left together following a nightshift.
The 33-year-old man and 21-year-old woman were found dead on Queen Street at about 5.50am on Wednesday. There were reports they had been stabbed. The two workers, a 33-year-old man and 21-year-old woman, were found dead on Queen Street in Cardiff shortly before 6am on Wednesday.
South Wales police said a 20 year-old man from the Newport area was in custody in connection with their deaths and officers were not looking for anyone else. South Wales police said a 20-year-old man from the Newport area was in custody in connection with their deaths, and officers were not looking for anyone else. It is believed he was known to the workers.
The force said: “He was arrested with the assistance of Gwent police officers, at an address in Castleton, within an hour of the incident being reported. He is currently detained in Cardiff Bay police station. The force said: “He was arrested with the assistance of Gwent police officers at an address in Castleton within an hour of the incident being reported. He is currently detained in Cardiff Bay police station.
“The identities of the two victims who both resided in Cardiff have been established and both families have been informed. They are being provided with support by South Wales police at this time. Postmortem examinations will be carried out to determine the causes of the deaths. At this stage it is believed that they sustained stab wounds.” Both victims worked at the Cardiff branch of the fashion and homeware retailer Matalan.
A colleague said they were a couple. “This is a terrible tragedy,” said the colleague. “They had only started seeing each other and made a lovely couple. We are all in bits.”
Matalan chief executive Jason Hargreaves said: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm that there was a fatal stabbing in Queen Street, Cardiff, this morning.
“Police discovered the bodies of a man and a woman outside the premises at 6am and arrested one man who is currently in police custody.
“Both of the victims worked at our Cardiff branch, so understandably all of our colleagues are receiving our full support. We request that they are given the space to deal with this at this difficult time.
“That is all we know at this stage and we are working tirelessly with the police in their investigations. We extend our condolences to the families of everyone involved.”
The police said: “The identities of the two victims who both resided in Cardiff have been established and both families have been informed. They are being provided with support by South Wales police at this time. Postmortem examinations will be carried out to determine the causes of the deaths. At this stage it is believed that they sustained stab wounds.”
A large part of the pedestrianised area of Queen Street was cordoned off. Dozens of businesses had to close and hundreds of office workers were sent home.A large part of the pedestrianised area of Queen Street was cordoned off. Dozens of businesses had to close and hundreds of office workers were sent home.
People at the scene reported seeing a pool of blood outside a Boots store. One man said: “One of the victims was found outside Boots in a pool of blood; the other was just over the other side of the road outside Matalan. The police then arrived and sealed off the whole street and forensics officers set up a tent over the area.” People at the scene reported seeing a pool of blood . One man said: “One of the victims was found outside Boots in a pool of blood; the other was just over the other side of the road outside Matalan. The police then arrived and sealed off the whole street, and forensics officers set up a tent over the area.”
Ch Supt Belinda Davies said: “This incident occurred in the main shopping area in the heart of the city in rush hour and it has no doubt shocked the community of Cardiff. Please be reassured that we have a team of officers investigating what happened and importantly we have a suspect in custody and we are not looking for anybody else. Ch Supt Belinda Davies said: “This incident occurred in the main shopping area in the heart of the city in rush hour and it has no doubt shocked the community of Cardiff. Please be reassured that we have a team of officers investigating what happened, and importantly we have a suspect in custody and we are not looking for anybody else.
“We are in the very early stages of the investigation but I would like to add that at this stage we believe the suspect was known to the victims and it was not a random assault. I would like to dispel speculation circulating as to the motive behind this tragic incident and make it clear that this is not being linked to terrorism, and any links to the homeless community are unfounded.” “We are in the very early stages of the investigation but I would like to add that at this stage we believe the suspect was known to the victims, and it was not a random assault. I would like to dispel speculation circulating as to the motive behind this tragic incident and make it clear that this is not being linked to terrorism, and any links to the homeless community are unfounded.”
The large flagship store was opened by Welsh fashion designer Julien Macdonald in 2014. Shoppers queued for hours before the grand opening and were given envelopes containing vouchers worth up to £200. The store employs 366 people and is split across four floors, selling budget clothes and homeware.
Anybody with information about the incident was urged to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.Anybody with information about the incident was urged to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.