Second man arrested after Houghton Regis double murder
The first suspect remains in police custody
A second man has been arrested in connection with a triple stabbing that took the lives of two men and left a third man in a critical condition.
The attack happened on Tithe Farm Road in Houghton Regis shortly before 1:20am on Sunday.
A man in his 30s was arrested on Tuesday, on suspicion of two counts of murder and attempted murder.
It follows the arrest by detectives on Monday of another man on suspicion of the same offences, who remains in police custody.
The second arrest comes as police and local councillors released a joint statement in response to community concerns raised in an open letter.
Bedfordshire Police’s Chief Inspector met with local councillors to discuss the force’s approach to tackling knife crime in the area.
The joint statement outlines the ongoing efforts to provide community reassurance, as well as looking ahead to how similar crimes might be prevented in the future.
Reflecting on recent events, Cllr Antonia Ryan, said:
“Firstly, we would like to once again acknowledge the devastating stabbings in Houghton Regis that claimed the lives of two men in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“Our sincere thoughts are with the families, friends and loved ones of the victims at this very difficult time.
“We sincerely hope that the young man who remains in hospital makes a full recovery and receives support for the incredible trauma he has experienced.
“Finally, we would like to express our appreciation and gratitude to the emergency services that attended the scene for their ongoing work to support all affected.
“Following a fruitful meeting with fellow Labour councillors, independent councillor Martin Kennedy, and CI Cray Birch from Bedfordshire Police, we have agreed that we never want to see an incident of this nature occur again in Houghton Regis.
“To aid this, we have established a plan for preventive measures that will be put in place using a multi-agency approach.
The first of these steps will include establishing a working group made up of key partners to look at the short, medium and long term strategy for knife crime within the town.
“It is imperative that we provide our residents with wrap around care that addresses the impact this event has had on their lives.
For that reason, a hub will be set up with partners from mental health services, the police and Central Bedfordshire Council’s Community Safety Team, to deal with the ripple effect across the community and the trauma this has caused.”