Surrey stabbing: Police arrest two men after woman in her 30s is killed

A mother was yesterday stabbed to death in the street in front of her three children – yards from a primary school.

The woman in her 30s is believed to have been holding one child in her arms when she was knifed in broad daylight on a suburban road by a man who jumped out of a car and attacked her.

Locals claimed on social media that she was attacked in front of her children close to their primary school in Stoneleigh, Surrey, while doing the school run at around 3pm.

Police were called to London Road, Ewell at 3pm today after reports that a woman in her 30s was stabbed

Officers say they believe the victim and suspect were known to each other

Officers say they believe the victim and suspect were known to each other (pictured: A police van near the scene)

Reports suggested it was a domestic-related attack. One neighbour near the murder scene, who did not want to be named, said: ‘It was outside my house. The body was out there for some time.’ 

The victim was airlifted to hospital but doctors were unable to save her. Two hours after the stabbing, armed police arrested a man on suspicion of murder a mile from the scene. He was found in a van near Cheam Leisure Centre at 5.15pm. 

A second man was later arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. Yesterday a member of staff at the leisure centre described how armed police raced towards the white van and drew their guns. 

The employee, who did not wish to be named, said: ‘It was unbelievable. The armed men got out and were pointing their guns at a white van, closing in and shouting, before making the arrest. It looked very efficient, very professional. It was over in just a few minutes. There didn’t seem to be much sign of a struggle. They did very well.’

One Facebook user wrote: ‘People are saying it’s an-ex partner and that she had three children with her – one in her arms.’     

Residents claimed that the victim was a mother on her way back from collecting her children during the school run, but this remains unconfirmed 

Residents claimed that the victim was a mother on her way back from collecting her children during the school run, but this remains unconfirmed 

Pictured: Police at the scene on the London Road in North Cheam, on the south-west London and Surrey border

Pictured: Police at the scene on the London Road in North Cheam, on the south-west London and Surrey border

Officers say they believe the victim and suspect were known to each other, and the stabbing would have been witnessed by ‘a number of people’. 

The victim was said to have been stabbed just yards from Meadow Primary School on Sparrow Farm Road, next to the A24 London Road.

Chief Inspector Michael Hodder from Surrey Police said: ‘This was a tragic and shocking incident in which a woman has lost her life after being attacked in broad daylight. Our thoughts are with her friends and family at this time.

‘At this stage we believe the victim and suspect are known to each other. We realise there will be a number of questions about what has happened which we will try to answer when we can and would ask the public not to speculate.

‘We have a number of officers in the area to both investigate and support the community following this attack which we believe would have been witnessed by a number of people.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder while a second man has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder while a second man has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender

Officers  responded to reports of an attack on London Road near Cheam this afternoon

Officers responded to reports of an attack on London Road near Cheam this afternoon

‘If you did witness what happened and haven’t already spoken to officers, or may have dashcam footage I would urge you to do so immediately, by calling 101 and quoting the reference number PR/P19030779.’  

Police were said to have chased the suspects after they fled the scene.   

Local councillor Drew Heffernan tweeted that there had been a knife attack, saying his thoughts are with the victim’s family. 

London Road and adjoining Sparrow Farm Road were cordoned off as officers arrived to investigate. 

Witnesses said an air ambulance landed close to one of the nearby primary schools.

One witness told the Surrey Comet a black 4×4 mounted the pavement before a man got out of the vehicle, chased the woman and grabbed her to the ground.  

Passers-by performed CPR on the woman before an air ambulance took her to a London hospital, it is understood.   

Officers later confirmed that the woman had died, and two men were arrested in connection with the attack.  

Transport for London tweeted that buses had been diverted via Cheam Road and Malden Road due to a police incident on London Road.

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