Westminster murders: Police arrest man over deaths of Sharon Pickles and Clinton Ashmore

Clinton Ashmore and Sharon Pickles died within hours of each other after being stabbed in central London

(PA)

Police have arrested a 49-year-old man on suspicion in connection with two murders in Westminster.

The suspect is understood to be Lee Peacock, who was found on a canal barge in Ealing, west London, on Wednesday evening suffering serious injuries and taken to hospital.

Police said they believed his injuries to be self-inflicted and he has since been discharged from hospital, and taken into custody at a London police station.

Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley, from the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Crime Command, investigating, said: “This is a significant development in our investigation which I hope takes us a step closer to getting justice for the families of Sharon and Clinton.”

“I am aware that as a result of appeals for information issued by the police, there is more information in the public domain about this case than there might ordinarily be.”

On 19 August at 9.30pm, police were called to an address in Ashbridge Street, Westminster, where Sharon Pickles, 45, was pronounced dead.

At 2.15am on Friday, Clinton Ashmore, 59, was pronounced dead at an address in nearby Jerome Crescent.

The Metropolitan Police said both had died from a stab wound to the neck and the two incidents were being treated as linked.