Duffield murder: Man arrested after two bodies found in house on New Year’s Day

Residents ‘shocked’ after man and woman found dead inside home in quiet south Derbyshire village

A double murder investigation has been launched after two people were found dead at a house in Derbyshire, police have said.

Officers were called to a house in New Zealand Lane in Duffield just after 4am on New Year’s Day and found a man and a woman fatally injured inside.

A 39-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of two counts of murder and remains in custody, Derbyshire Police said.

New Zealand Lane, on the outskirts of the south Derbyshire village, has been cordoned off as police forensic teams investigate.

One resident in the area, who also did not wish to be named, said: “This is a quiet area, so everybody is naturally very shocked.”

The neighbour added: “We awoke this morning and the whole street was crawling with police. We obviously welcomed in the new year, but didn’t hear anything until we woke this morning and our living room was lit up by blue lights.

“It’s very unnerving that this has happened on our doorstep and my husband and I are just feeling numb at the minute.”

Detectives said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths and there was no one else in the property at the time.​

Police officers at the scene where a tent has been set up in New Zealand Lane (Anita Maric/SWNS) (Anita Maric / SWNS)

Formal identification of the victims has yet to take place and specially trained liaison officers are supporting their families.

A spokesperson for Derbyshire Police said: “Two people have died at a house in Duffield and a double murder investigation has been launched.

“We were called to a house in New Zealand Lane at 4.11am today and found a man and a woman fatally injured inside. A man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of two counts of murder. He remains in custody at this time.

“New Zealand Lane remains closed and we would like to thank residents for their patience and understanding that the closure is necessary while we investigate what happened.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the force on 101, via social media or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Additional reporting by SWNS