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Ex-offenders quizzed over murder | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Ex-offenders living at a hostel close to where an elderly woman was found dead will be questioned as part of the murder investigation, police said. | |
The body of the 77-year-old was found at a house in the Hampshire village of Otterbourne on Friday evening. | |
No-one from nearby Elderfield House is being treated as a suspect but residents will be spoken to during house-to-house inquiries, police said. | |
A spokeswoman also stressed they had not made any arrests. | |
Some 30 police officers are involved in the inquiry after the discovery of the body at the house in Kiln Lane. | |
A post-mortem examination was being carried out on Saturday. There are unconfirmed reports the woman had been stabbed. | |
We have no one arrested and no suspects Police spokeswoman | |
Scenes of crimes officers spent the night at the scene and police are to carry out house-to-house inquiries. | |
Searches of the property were conducted by specialist officers on Saturday and Kiln Lane, which links the villages of Otterbourne and Brambridge, has been cordoned off. | |
Elderfield House, also on Kiln Lane, is a hostel for ex-offenders, run by Christian charity The Langley House Trust. | |
"We have no reason to suspect at this time anyone from Elderfield is responsible," a spokeswoman for the police said. | |
"We have no one arrested and no suspects." | |
She said the woman lived alone at the house and had a grown up son who lived nearby. She was last seen on Friday. | |
'Tremendous loss' | 'Tremendous loss' |
Local councillor Richard Oldham said the close-knit community had been left in shock by the incident. | |
Mr Oldham, chairman of Otterbourne Parish Council, said: "It's not the place you would normally expect this type of incident to happen." | Mr Oldham, chairman of Otterbourne Parish Council, said: "It's not the place you would normally expect this type of incident to happen." |
He added: "It's a fairly small... very peaceful community with a history of not a lot happening." | |
Det Supt Shirley Dinnell, leading the investigation, said: "This kind of crime is very rare in Hampshire and even more unusual in a rural area such as this. | Det Supt Shirley Dinnell, leading the investigation, said: "This kind of crime is very rare in Hampshire and even more unusual in a rural area such as this. |
"We need to find who was responsible for the murder as soon as possible." | "We need to find who was responsible for the murder as soon as possible." |
Prayers will be said at a local church on Sunday. The Reverend Alan Gordon said he and his congregation will be remembering those affected. | |
"We will be in touch with the parish representatives to convey our sympathies," he said. | "We will be in touch with the parish representatives to convey our sympathies," he said. |