A 58-year-old woman has been fatally stabbed in west London and a woman known to her has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Metropolitan Police officers were called to Boddington Gardens, close to Acton Town station in the borough of Ealing, at 3.37pm on Monday following reports of a disturbance.
Police attended with the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance.
A 58-year-old woman was found with stab wounds and pronounced dead at the scene. Her relatives have been told.
I would appeal to anyone who lives nearby or who was in the area at the time of the incident to come forward if they saw or heard anything unusual— Detective Chief Inspector Jim Shirley
A 21-year-old woman, who was known to the 58-year-old, was arrested on suspicion of murder.
She was taken to hospital with a non-life threatening injury before being transferred to custody where she remains.
Steven Denine, 52, who lives in a flat below that of the woman who died, said he saw a woman being carried on a stretcher towards an ambulance on Monday.
“Forensics were here all night. It feels like [violence] is getting closer to home.
“It’s so violent, and to be so close to it… this is the kind of thing that’s always on my mind when I sleep with the windows open. Now I’m even more wary.”
Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said that the woman had lived in the flat for 17 years and was “a nice person, very friendly”.
“I haven’t been to work today, I couldn’t sleep,” the neighbour told the PA news agency.
“Everybody’s terrorised.”
Another neighbour said that “it’s really sad”, adding that she heard a ruckus on Monday.
“I’ve known her since 2005, which is when we all moved here. She was caring.”
A 21-year-old man was also initially arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, but he has since been released with no further action to be taken against him.
Police have launched a murder investigation and Detective Chief Inspector Jim Shirley, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, appealed for anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident to come forward.
He said: “Our thoughts are with the loved ones of the woman who has lost her life in this incident. They will continue to receive our full support.
“While an early arrest in this investigation is a positive development, we are still keen to build a picture of what happened.
“I would appeal to anyone who lives nearby or who was in the area at the time of the incident to come forward if they saw or heard anything unusual.
“No piece of information is insignificant.”
Anyone with information should call 101, giving the reference 4781/15AUG.
