Man arrested in murder probe after woman found dead in Leigh-on-Sea garden

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was found dead in a garden.

Essex Police officers were called to Whitehouse Meadows in Leigh-on-Sea at around 9pm on Tuesday night.

It was initially reported to them as an assault, but when police arrived they found a woman in her 50s with serious injuries in the garden of a home.

Despite the best efforts of paramedics, the woman was pronounced dead.

Det Ch Insp Terry Balding, who leads the investigation, said: "I want to reassure the public that we are doing everything possible to expedite this investigation.

"Our officers quickly attended the location and arrested a 54-year-old man at the scene.

"He has been arrested on suspicion of murder and he remains in police custody for questioning while our inquiries continue.

"At this stage, we believe this is an isolated incident and our inquiries show that there is no wider threat to the community."

Ch Insp Jo Collins, the district commander, said: "I know that this will be of concern to local residents, but I want to reassure the public that officers will remain at the scene today while they carry out inquiries.

"I would urge anyone who has information about the incident itself or has any concerns that they would like to raise, to approach an officer and speak to them: they are there to answer your questions."

Police officers also urged anyone with CCTV, dash cam or other footage to get in touch.

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