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A murder investigation has been launched following the death of a woman in the Ribbleton area of Preston.

Police have taped off Miller Road following the incident which happened at around 2am today.

Officers said they were called to Pope Lane following reports of an "altercation" and found the body of a man at the junction with Village Road.

Forensic teams are in attendance and the police cordon has been set up.

A 25-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

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Road remains closed

Pope Lane is still closed off by police this evening. A section of Miller Road is also taped off.

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Name of victim expected to be released today

We understand that police have now identified who the dead woman is. It is believed that a statement will be released later today with more information.

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Bus services still being diverted

Stagecoach bus service 9 is being diverted still due to the road closure at the crime scene. It is using Blackpool Road and Ribbleton Avenue until further notice.

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What we know so far

The murder investigation is still very much ongoing this afternoon. Here’s all the information we know at this stage:

  • Police were called to Pope Lane in the Moor Nook area of Ribbleton at around 2am following reports of an altercation.
  • Emergency crews attended the scene and found a body close to the junction with Village Drive. Initially it was believed the deceased was male but it has now emerged the victim was a woman.
  • No details have been released at this stage regarding the who the woman is and formal identification has yet to take place. Police are making it a priority to track down the woman’s family.
  • Police have described the incident as a “brutal assault” but it is not clear how the woman died. A post mortem examination is due to take place today, we understand.
  • The area has been cordoned off and forensic teams have erected a tent. The woman’s body remains at the scene as crime scene investigators carry out their examinations.
  • A 25-year-old man from Preston has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
  • Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward - anyone with information about the incident can call 101 quoting incident reference 88 of todayor can report information to us online here https://mipp.police.uk/ by clicking on ‘Operation Bond’.
  • If you are concerned that this woman may be a relative, you can also call 101 but instead quote log 433 of February 7th.
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Investigation named Operation Bond

Detectives say that the murder investigation is still ongoing and a 25-year-old man remains in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of murder. He will be questioned by police over the incident.

Police are continuing to ask people who may have information to come forward. As well as calling 101 quoting reference number 88 you can also report anything online by visiting https://mipp.police.uk/ and clicking Operation Bond.

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Road remains closed

The police cordon is still in place around Pope Lane. It’s not been confirmed when the area will be opened up again.

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Public send their thoughts to victim's family

Lots of people taking to Preston Police’s Facebook page to send their condolences to the woman’s family.

Emma Clayton wrote: “Heartbreaking my thoughts go out to the family..So sad x”

Lucy Brown said: “So heart breaking thoughts are with her poor family still looking for her and thinking she’s okay so heart breaking”

Gillian Kerby added: “So very sad thoughts are with her family xx

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Police continuing to appeal for information

Police are urging anyone with information about the incident to come forward and call 101, quoting incident reference 88 of today (February 7).

If you are concerned that the victim may be a relative, you can also call 101, but instead, please quote log 433 of February 7.

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Items removed from the scene

Forensic teams have been seen carrying items away from the scene in bags. It’s not clear what the objects were and if they are connected to the murder investigation.

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Police remain at the scene

Officers are still at the scene this afternoon as the investigation continues.

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Latest on what we know about 'brutal murder'

Detectives are continuing to investigate the “brutal” murder of a woman in Preston. Officers were called to an “altercation” on Pope Lane in the Moor Nook area of Ribbleton at 2am today (February 7) where they found a body close to Village Drive. Initially, police believed the body was that of a man but it has now emerged it was a woman. At this stage police have yet to formally identify who she is and officers are attempting to track down her family.

Read full story.

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Police issue advice to any potential family members

Anyone with information about the incident can call 101 quoting incident reference 88 of today (February 7th).

If you are concerned that this woman may be a relative, you can also call 101 but instead quote log 433 of February 7th.

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Arrested man remains in police custody

A 25 year old man from Preston was arrested close to the scene on suspicion of murder. He remains in custody at this time.

Police also tell us that a post mortem examination is due to take place in order to determine the cause of the woman’s death.

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'Our priority is getting in contact with the woman's family', say police

Detectives are continuing their investigation into the murder in the Moor Nook area.

Emergency Services attended the scene on Pope Lane at around 2am and the body of who was initially believed to be a man was found close to junction with Village Drive.

It is now known that the body is a woman, however, she has yet to be formally identified.

DCI Geoff Hurst from Lancashire’s Force Major Investigation Team (FMIT) said:

We are still at the very early stages of our investigation and our priority is getting in contact with the woman’s family. We know that she has been the victim of a brutal assault and we have a number of detectives working on finding out exactly what has happened to her. I would urge anyone who may have seen or heard anything in the area at the time to get in touch as soon as possible as you could have vital information that could help our investigation. The woman’s body remains where it was found whilst we carry out our forensic inquiries and this could take some time. I would like to reassure local residents that we are trying to keep disruption in the area to a minimum and we have stepped up patrols. If you have any concerns, please speak to an officer.

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Police confirm body of woman found

Police initially said that a man had died but it has now been confirmed it was a woman. She has yet to be formally identified. We’ll bring you more on this shortly.

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'I've never heard of anything so horrific'

One resident has told how claims that the Moor Nook estate is a crime hotspot are untrue.

They said: “Yes there’s the usual issues with kids hanging around the take away and shops. But something like this is isolated. I’ve never heard of anything so horrific on Village Drive. I’ve lived there for 20 years on Village Drive it’s a nice road - all houses are privately owned and not part of Moor Nook estate.

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Police searching the area

Officers have been carrying out searches of the area this morning looking for any evidence or clues that may help with their investigation.

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Resident 'can't believe what's happened'

One woman has taken to Twitter to tell of her sadness.

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Police statement in full

Lancashire Police has issued a statement about the incident. Here’s what it says in full:


A murder investigation has been launched following the death of a man in Preston.

We were called at 2am today (7 February) to reports of an altercation on Pope Lane, Ribbleton.

Emergency services attended and the body of a man was found at the junction with Village Drive. He was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

A 25 year old man from Preston has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in custody.

Enquiries are ongoing.

Anyone with information should call 101 quoting log number 88 of 7 February.

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Everything we know so far after a body is found in Ribbleton

Police are treating the death of a man in Preston as suspicious. Detectives have launched a murder investigation following an incident on Pope Lane in Ribbleton during the early hours of this morning. Several police officers and vehicles remain at the scene this morning. Forensic teams are also in the Moor Nook area.

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Latest from the scene

A crime scene investigation tent has been erected within the police cordon, says our reporter Chantelle Heeds.

Murder investigation at Pope Lane in Ribbleton
Murder investigation at Pope Lane in Ribbleton (Image: Chantelle Heeds)
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Neighbour tells of shock

A nearby resident says she lives within the police cordon and has had to take a detour to take her daughter to school this morning. They added that the news has come as a shock, as the area had “a bad reputation” years ago, but has really “calmed down” in recent years.

A man has died following an 'altercation' in Preston
A man has died following an 'altercation' in Preston (Image: Chantelle Heeds)
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What we know so far about the incident

A man’s death in Preston is being treated as suspicious.

Police have launched a murder investigation after being called to an “altercation” on Pope Lane in Ribbleton in the early hours of the morning.

Here’s everything we know about the incident so far.

Police cordon around Miller Road in Preston
Police cordon around Miller Road in Preston (Image: Chantelle Heeds)
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What shop worker said about incident

Reporter Chantelle Heeds has been speaking to locals in the area this morning about the incident.

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Heavy police presence

A number of police officers and vehicles are on the Moor Nook estate this morning.

Police investigate murder on Pope Lane in Ribbleton
Police investigate murder on Pope Lane in Ribbleton (Image: Chantelle Heeds)
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Video from the scene

Our reporter Chantelle Heeds is at the scene this morning.

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Forensic teams investigating

Forensic teams are at the scene and a cordon has been put in place. Forensic investigators in white suits have been spotted in the area.

Crime scene investigation team following murder on Pope Lane, Ribbleton
Crime scene investigation team following murder on Pope Lane, Ribbleton (Image: Chantelle Heeds)
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'Very sad'

Residents have told of their sadness and shock following the murder.

Preston murder tweet
Preston murder tweet (Image: Twitter)
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Police enquiries 'ongoing'

Officers remain at the scene this morning. A Lancashire Police spokesman said that “enquiries are ongoing” at this stage.

Police are appealing for witnesses and are asking anyone with information should call officers on 101 quoting log number 88 of February 7.

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Man arrested on suspicion of murder

A 25-year-old man from Preston has been arrested on suspicion of murder, said police. He is currently in custody where he will be questioned by detectives.

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