Two men arrested after Bristol attack that kills one and injures two

Police forensic officers gather evidence near the location of the attack.
Police forensic officers gather evidence near the location of the attack. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

A man has died and two others have suffered life-threatening injuries after police were called to a suspected armed burglary in Bristol.

Police arrested two men from London on suspicion of murder after the incident at Redcliffe, near the city centre, in the early hours of Monday.

A neighbour described hearing one man screaming: “I’m dying, get me an ambulance, I’m dying.” Another said they believed the victims were young men who had been stabbed, but the police have not yet given details of the injuries.

The authorities described it as an isolated incident but have increased patrols in the area.

Officers believe the man who died and the two who were seriously injured were all from the London area. They said they were still trying to find out what all five were doing in Bristol.

Insp Martin Rowland, of Avon and Somerset police, refused to comment on what sort of weapon was used. When asked if drugs may have been involved, he said it was too soon to comment.

“The investigation is at the early stages,” Rowland said. “The information at the moment is that the victims aren’t from the local area, and may be from the London area. We do believe it was an isolated incident. The investigation will keep an open mind.”

Police were on the scene within seven minutes of receiving a 999 call from a member of the public.

Rowland said: “It was a shocking and very distressing incident but it is still incredibly rare. The pieces of the puzzle are still being put together.”

He refused to confirm whether a murder weapon had been found but said “items had been seized” from the scene.

Avon and Somerset police said officers arrived on the scene just after 1am following reports that an aggravated burglary was in progress.

“On arrival, it soon became clear several people had been assaulted. Sadly, a man died at the scene as a result of injuries sustained in the incident.

“Two other men have been taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. Two men from London, aged 25 and 37, have been arrested on suspicion of murder and are currently in police custody.”

Neighbours said a helicopter had scrambled to the scene and a white tent was erected outside a block of flats.

The senior investigating officer, Andrew Mott, said: “We deployed a significant number of resources to this incident and as a result we’ve apprehended two men.

“This is now a murder inquiry and the public will see a significantly increased police presence in the area, with detectives and staff examining the scene and neighbourhood officers conducting extra reassurance patrols.

“I’d urge anyone with concerns to speak to one of the neighbourhood officers. Although we’ve made two arrests, we’d still like to speak to anyone who has information about this incident.”

The incident caused major traffic delays in and around the city centre.