Man arrested after woman, 37, is stabbed to death in street

Residents of the sleepy Lancashire community of Halton have spoken of their shock and distress after hearing the woman's screams as she was murdered in broad daylight at around 8.30am yesterday.

A 43-year-old man – understood to be her partner – was arrested on suspicion of murder almost immediately after the incident. Police said they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the crime.

Neither the victim nor the suspect have yet been formally identified but both are understood to come from Ingleton in the Yorkshire Dales, 15 miles east of Halton. A post-mortem examination on the woman's body was due to be carried out last night.

One resident of School House Lane, where the incident happened, suggested the woman regularly left her car in the village before cycling into nearby Lancaster.

"She parked her car up and took her bike out of the back and, as she was doing so, she was attacked," the resident said.

"I think she used to come from Ingleton and park up here, and cycle into Lancaster along the cycle path. A witness told me the milkman was delivering on the street at the time."

Another local said: "She parks her car there in the week a couple of days and cycles off, but she's not from the village. We and neighbours often wondered who she was.

"She got a bike out of the car when it happened. There was some screaming, but I didn't see what happened.

"It is so shocking because this is a nice little village, nothing ever happens here – certainly not crime like this."

Noel Townley, another School House Lane resident, had already left for work when the attack took place, but later said: "I heard one of the neighbours saw what happened. There would have been kids walking around at that time, going to the local primary school.

"It's a quiet country village, so it has shocked everybody really. Stuff like this doesn't go on here."

Police officers said they received a call about 8.30am and discovered the injured woman lying in the street. She was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

Det Supt Kevin Toole, from the Force Major Investigation Team, said: "We are now beginning to build up a picture of what happened in Lancaster this morning, but I would still like to appeal to anybody who may have witnessed this incident to contact police.

"I would also like to speak with anybody who thinks they may have any information which could help in any way with the investigation, and I would like to thank those people who have already come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 01524 63333 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.