Two young men have died and a third is seriously injured after being found with stab wounds.
Bedfordshire Police said officers were called to reports of a man being struck by a vehicle in Tithe Farm Road, in Houghton Regis, at 1.18am on Sunday.
Emergency services found three men with stab wounds – two were pronounced dead at the scene while the third was taken to hospital and remains in a serious but stable condition.
A double murder investigation has been launched.
The victims have yet to be formally identified, but trained officers are supporting family members.
There can be absolutely no excuse for such violence and we will do everything we can to bring those responsible to justice— T/Detective Superintendent Carl Foster
A large police presence remains in the town while investigations are carried out to establish the full circumstances of the incident and identify those responsible.
Police said additional patrols will take place in the town over the coming days.
T/Detective Superintendent Carl Foster from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: “This was a horrific incident which has resulted in two young men losing their lives and a third suffering very serious injuries.
“I understand how concerning this will be for residents, however from what we know so far we believe this to be a contained incident with no wider ongoing threat to the public.
“There can be absolutely no excuse for such violence and we will do everything we can to bring those responsible to justice.
“The area was fairly busy at the time and I would urge anyone who saw what happened, or anything leading up to it, to contact police.”
Anyone with any information is asked to call police quoting Operation Crux on 101, through the online reporting tool at www.beds.police.uk, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
