Villagers fear fresh attacks after woman in her 80s dies from serious injuries during house burglary as police quiz man in his 30s
- Locals are worried they may fall victim to further attacks if suspect is still at large
- READ MORE: Murder investigation launched after pensioner dies in small village
Residents of a ‘usually quiet’ village are fearful of fresh attacks after the death of a pensioner who was seriously injured during a house burglary.
A woman in her 80s was found dead following reports of a burglary in Somerset on Monday evening. Officers have arrested a man in his 30s in connection with the incident.
A local, who lives about half a mile from the scene, said the rural village hasn’t had a burglary for at least two years.
The woman, speaking on the basis of anonymity, said the incident is ‘really worrying’ and is concerned that if man in custody is not responsible that the real perpetrator ‘could still be out there’.
Residents of a ‘usually quiet’ village are fearful of fresh attacks after the death of a pensioner who was seriously injured during a house burglary. Pictured: Flowers left near the scene today
A woman in her 80s was tragically found dead following reports of a burglary in Somerset on Monday evening. A man in his 30s was arrested in connection to the incident. Pictured: Police at the scene in Broomfield, Bridgwater today
‘It’s such a lovely area, it’s normally so quiet and I don’t think we’ve seen a police car for months,’ the woman explained.
‘It’s really worrying what’s happened but I’m glad they have a suspect. I’m not sure who the woman was but it’s probably someone I know from around the village.’
Police were called to a property in Broomfield, near Bridgwater in Somerset, around 5.45pm on Monday following report of a burglary in progress.
They found a woman in her 80s badly injured, but despite officers and paramedics best efforts, she sadly died at the scene.
Now, locals – who have left flowers at the scene in tribute to the pensioner – are concerned that the could fall victim to further attacks.
A local, who lives about half a mile from the scene, said the rural village hasn’t had a burglary for at least two years. Pictured: A police cordon today on a road in Broomfield, Bridgwater
Locals – who have left flowers at the scene in tribute to the pensioner – are concerned that the could fall victim to further attacks
‘It’s really worrying because if the suspect they have isn’t the suspect, he could still be out there,’ the woman added.
She claimed the last time the village experienced a burglary was ‘a couple of years ago and it was nothing like this.’
‘Police came and took finger prints and that, but certainly nobody was hurt,’ she said.
With the assistance of the National Police Air Service (NPAS) and dog unit, a man in his 30s was arrested at around 8.40pm on Monday in connection with the incident. He remains in police custody.
The victim’s next of kin has been informed and specially trained family liaison officers will provide them and their family with support.
Specialist crime scene investigators are currently examining the property while a forensic post-mortem examination will be carried out in due course to determine how the woman died.
Neighbourhood Chief Inspector Justin French said there will be increased police activity in the area while a ‘full and thorough investigation’ is carried out. Pictured: An officer standing guard near a police cordon today
Neighbourhood Chief Inspector Justin French said there will be increased police activity in the area while a ‘full and thorough investigation’ is carried out.
‘We understand that events like this, while rare, may cause alarm and distress in the community,’ he explained.
‘We would encourage anyone with any concerns to speak to our officers, who will be out on high-visibility patrols of the area, with any concerns and questions they may have. Alternatively, you can contact your local Neighbourhood Policing Team.’
Anyone with information that could aid in the investigation is encouraged to call 101 and quote reference 5223071427.
