Four arrested over Reading murder
Arrests come after a 26-year-old man died from multiple injuries on an estate in west Reading
Last updated 8th Feb 2021
Officers from Thames Valley Police’s Major Crime Unit have made four arrests in connection with a murder investigation in west Reading.
Police were called at around 6.55pm on Saturday (6/2) to reports of an altercation in Dulnan Close on the Dee Park Estate in Tilehurst.
A 26-year-old man sustained multiple injuries and died at the scene.
Three men, aged, 22, 25 and 25, all from Reading, and a 16-year-old boy, also from Reading, have all been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in police custody at this time.
Detective Superintendent Kevin Brown, Head of the Major Crime Unit, said:
“This was a shocking incident which has led to the death of a young man from multiple injuries.
“Although we are in the early stages of this investigation, we have made several arrests, and they are all being questioned on suspicion of murder.
“I am making an appeal to anybody who believes that they witnessed this incident, or events leading up to the incident in Dulnan Close to please make contact with police.
“You can do so by calling 101 or making a report online.
“You can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111.
“I’m particularly keen to hear from anybody who has CCTV, dash-cam, door-bell or camera images or footage of the incident to please contact us.
“We are also keen to hear from anyone who saw a red Range Rover Evoque, or anybody leaving that vehicle in the vicinity of Gairn Close in Tilehurst between the hours of 7pm and 9pm.
“There remains a large police presence in the area, and this is likely to remain in place for some time while the investigation continues.
“Anyone with information should quote incident reference number 1619 of 6 February, and you can do this in the strictest confidence.”
Superintendent Nick John, Reading Local Policing Area Commander, said:
“We know that there have been a number of serious incidents in the Reading area in recent weeks, and I fully appreciate the concern that incidents such as this cause in the local community.
“I would like to offer my reassurance that we are conducting a very thorough investigation into the events around this incident.
“At this early stage of the investigation, I would like to add that we believe the victim and offenders were known to each other, and to that end, we do not believe there to be a wider threat to the Tilehurst community.
“However, our officers will remain in the local area for a considerable period of time while enquiries are conducted, and this will include high visibility patrols. They are there to offer you reassurance and to receive any information anybody has about this incident.
“We also have a Section 60 order in place at the current time, which gives our officers enhanced powers to stop and search any individual.
“Please speak to them if you have any information or concerns. I would also encourage anybody who has any information, no matter how significant you think this information may be, to please get in touch with us.
“We have a strong community in Reading, and I have no doubt that there are people that will have information and will want to share this with us.
“You can do this in the strictest of confidence.
“On behalf of Thames Valley Police, I would like to extend our thoughts to the man’s family and friends at this difficult time.”
Yesterday Police removed two vehicles from the scene for closer examination.
They continued to guard the crime scene, which is a car park accessible from many different paths and alleyways.
Street pastors have been deployed to help any local residents who feel distressed by what happened.
The Dee Park Estate has been redeveloped over the past decade but there are still parts of it that are derelict and a site for a community centre which was cleared in 2017 remains empty.