Murder investigation launched after death of woman in Haydock

Police were contacted at 9.05am following concern for the safety of a woman at a property in Piele Road.

Paramedics attended and found the woman, in her 40s, inside the property. 

She was sadly confirmed dead at the scene. A post-mortem will be carried out to establish the cause of death.

Inquiries are ongoing to formally identify the woman and inform her next of kin.

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A man in his 30s was also found close to the scene with injuries. He has been taken to hospital for treatment for his injuries which are not believed to be life threatening. He will continue to be questioned by police officers.

Police have confirmed a domestic murder investigation is underway and house-to-house, CCTV and forensic inquiries are being carried out in the area.

Multiple police vehicles, including Scientific Support forensics and a dog unit have been parked up nearby on Wexford Close, where there is a cordon in place.

A footpath on Piele Road sealed off

Detective Chief Inspector Allison Woods said: “Tackling violence against women and girls remains a priority for Merseyside Police and we are urgently carrying out a number of lines of enquiry to establish what has taken place.

“The investigation is in the very early stages and while I understand that incidents of this nature are worrying to people living locally we believe those involved were known to each other and there is no threat to the wider community.

“I would appeal to anyone who was in the area of Piele Road between 8.30am and 9am this morning who saw or heard anything suspicious or has any information which could assist the investigation to contact us as a matter of urgency.”

Det Chief Inspector Woods added: “We are committed to working with our communities and partners to tackle violence against women and girls and we will continue to do all we can to identify offenders and make our streets safer.

“My message to anyone suffering abuse is please do not suffer in silence. Violence against women and girls should never be tolerated and coming forward and speaking to us means that we can take positive action against offenders.

“You are not alone and there is a lot of help available, both via Merseyside Police and our partner organisations. As a society we need to take a strong stance against violence against women and we will continue to work with our partners.

“I would also encourage neighbours and friends of those that are suffering from abuse to speak up. Trust your instincts - if something you’ve seen or heard doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. By knowing the signs of abuse, you could help a friend, colleague or family member. Domestic abuse isn’t just physical – it can be emotional, physical, sexual, financial or controlling behaviour.”

Police at the scene

• Anyone with information which could help the investigation is asked to DM @MerPolCC or contact @CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111 quoting log 234 of 31st August. Information can also be reported via their online form: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously.
• If someone is in immediate danger they should dial 999 and speak to an operator but for those whom openly speaking is not always an option:
• The Silent Solution is a service which means a vulnerable person can call 999 and alert us, by pressing ’55.’ This will indicate that help is needed and we will respond.