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The murder investigation has been initiated after a woman was fatally attacked while walking down an Ilford street.
Police rushed to Cranbrook Road on Sunday at 2.44am following reports of an assault.
Officers found a 36-year-old woman with serious head injuries at the scene.
She was rushed to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead.
The crime scene is still in place.
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The victim was walking along Cranbrook Road in the direction of Gants Hill station when she was attacked, police said.
Formal identification has not yet taken place. The victim’s family has been informed and they are receiving the support of trained officers.
Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell, who heads the BCU in the East Met Area, said: “Our investigation is in the early critical stages and is now led by Specialist Crime homicide detectives.
“The woman had been subjected to a horrific assault and sadly died as a result of the injuries.
“Urgent investigations have been underway to identify the woman since early Sunday morning. No formal identification has yet taken place, but the woman’s family has been informed and is receiving support from officers. specially trained.
“Teams of dedicated officers are working at a pace to establish what happened and identify the person responsible. This includes a full forensic examination of the scene and surroundings, door-to-door consultations and an approach to identifying all available CCTV. No arrests have been made at this time.
“Local people will see a significant police presence in the area today and in the coming days.
“I understand that for women, especially locally, this is an incredibly distressing incident and I ask you to be alert but not alarmed.”
Detective Mark Rogers, who is leading the investigation, said: “It is vital that my officers speak with all possible witnesses and everyone with information that can help the investigation.
“We call on anyone in the Cranbrook Road area of Ilford between 2am and 3am on a Sunday morning to get in touch, including anyone who has driven through the area and may have images from the dashboard camera.
“We also want to hear from anyone who has seen anything suspicious in the wider Ilford area overnight.”
Anyone with information or images, or any testimony, is asked to call the main incident room on 0208 345 3715.
Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously at 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.