The Metropolitan Police launched a murder investigation after the body of a 26 year old woman was found at an address in Chertsey Road, Feltham on 4 November, the force said.
A 31 year old man was arrested on suspicion of murder shortly after the discovery and was taken to hospital for treatment, where he remained for observation, police said. Officers had attended the property on the afternoon of Wednesday 4 November to carry out a welfare check when the woman was found, the Met added.
Investigation under way
The force said the woman’s next of kin had been informed and were being supported by specialist officers. A post mortem examination and formal identification were yet to take place, the Met said in a statement on 5 November.
Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Lee, who is leading the investigation, said the victim’s family were in the force’s thoughts and sought to reassure the local community that the incident was believed to be isolated. She said officers had acted quickly to detain a suspect, the Met said.
The arrest was made on suspicion of murder, the Met confirmed. The man had been taken to hospital for treatment following his arrest, and remained there for observation at the time of the force’s statement. He had not been charged, the Met said.
Appeal for information
Detectives appealed for anyone with information to come forward, in particular asking for doorbell or dashcam footage from the area around Chertsey Road. The Met gave the investigation reference number 01/8264940/26 for those with material to share. Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 111 555, the force said.
Police described the discovery as the result of a welfare check. Beyond confirming the woman’s age and that she had been found at an address in the London Borough of Hounslow, the Met did not provide further details about the circumstances of her death. The cause of death was not given and the woman had not been formally identified at the time of the statement.
The Met’s description of the incident as isolated was presented as the police assessment, and not as a judicial finding. The force said detectives were continuing enquiries to establish the full circumstances and timeline of events leading to the woman’s death and the subsequent arrest.
Specialist officers have been deployed to support both the investigative work and the family. Police activity was concentrated at the Chertsey Road address where officers conducted searches and enquiries following the welfare check, the Met said. No further arrests were reported in the force statement.
The force asked anyone who was in the Chertsey Road area on Wednesday 4 November and who may have captured relevant footage or seen anything unusual to contact detectives, reiterating the reference number for calls. Those with information were urged to contact police promptly to assist the ongoing inquiry.
The Met said it recognised the concern such an incident may cause locally and that officers would remain in the area while enquiries continued. Further updates were expected as the post mortem and formal identification were completed and as detectives assessed the evidence gathered so far.
Members of the public with information are asked to contact police quoting 01/8264940/26 or to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 111 555, the Met said.
