Bedfordshire Police make second arrest following Houghton Regis double murder 

A second man has been arrested in connection with a triple stabbing that took the lives of two men and left a third man in a critical condition.

The attack took place on Tithe Farm Road in Houghton Regis shortly before 1.20am on Sunday (13 November).

Yesterday, (16/11) a man in his 30s has been arrested on suspicion of two counts of murder and attempted murder.

It follows the arrest by detectives on Monday of another man on suspicion of the same offences, who remains in police custody.

The second arrest comes as police and local councillors release a joint statement in response to community concerns raised in an open letter.

Reflecting on recent events, Cllr Antonia Ryan, said: “Firstly, we would like to once again acknowledge the devastating stabbings in Houghton Regis that claimed the lives of two men in the early hours of Sunday morning.

“Our sincere thoughts are with the families, friends and loved ones of the victims at this very difficult time.

“We sincerely hope that the young man who remains in hospital makes a full recovery and receives support for the incredible trauma he has experienced.

“Finally, we would like to express our appreciation and gratitude to the emergency services that attended the scene for their ongoing work to support all affected.

“Following a fruitful meeting with fellow Labour councillors, independent councillor Martin Kennedy, and CI Cray Birch from Bedfordshire Police, we have agreed that we never want to see an incident of this nature occur again in Houghton Regis.

“To aid this, we have established a plan for preventive measures that will be put in place using a multi-agency approach. The first of these steps will include establishing a working group made up of key partners to look at the short, medium and long term strategy for knife crime within the town.

“It is imperative that we provide our residents with wrap around care that addresses the impact this event has had on their lives. For that reason, a hub will be set up with partners from mental health services, the police and Central Bedfordshire Council’s Community Safety Team, to deal with the ripple effect across the community and the trauma this has caused.”

The dedicated hub will provide bereavement, mental health and emotional support to all residents in the local community.

Anyone with information which could assist the investigation is asked to call 101 or report online quoting Operation Crux.

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.