A woman has died after she was attacked in a "horrific assault" in the street as police have launched a murder investigation.
Metropolitan Police were called by London Ambulance Service 2.44am this morning to reports of a woman suffering serious head injuries in Ilford, East London.
A woman, aged 36, was taken to hospital but she sadly died later this morning, despite the best efforts of medics and doctors.
A crime scene remains in place.
Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell, who leads the Met’s East Area BCU, said: “Our investigation remains in the critical early stages and is now being led by homicide detectives from Specialist Crime.
“The woman had been subjected to a horrific assault and sadly passed away as a result of her injuries.
“Urgent enquiries have been underway since the very early hours of Sunday morning to identify the woman. At this time formal identification is yet to take place but the woman's family have been informed and are receiving support from specially trained officers.
“Teams of dedicated officers are working at pace to establish what happened and identify the person responsible. This includes a full forensic examination of the scene and the surrounding area, house-to-house enquiries and a focus on identifying all available CCTV. No arrests have been made at this time.
“Local people will see a significant police presence in the area today and in the coming days.
“I understand that for women, particularly locally, this is an incredibly distressing incident, and I urge you to be alert but not alarmed.”
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers, of the Met’s Specialist Crime North Command, is leading the investigation and said: “It is vital that my officers speak with every possible witness and everyone with information that may assist the investigation.
"We are appealing for anyone who was in the Cranbrook Road area of Ilford between 02:00hrs and 03:00hrs on Sunday morning to get in touch, including anyone who drove through the area and may have dashcam footage. We also want to hear from anyone who saw anything suspicious in the wider Ilford area overnight.”
Councillor Khayer Chowdhury, Redbridge Cabinet Member for Crime, Safety and Community Cohesion told MyLondon: "It's a terrible tragedy, my thoughts and prayers are with the victim and their family.
"Police are doing everything they can to support the family. Extensive police presence is in place to reassure the community today. If anyone saw anything or has any information please contact police."
Anyone with information or footage, or any witnesses, are asked to call the major incident room on 0208 345 3715.
Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org. They will never ask your name. They cannot trace your call, your IP address or the device you use.
