Police capture man wanted, Kyle Clifford, after BBC commentator’s wife and daughters murdered at home in Bushey

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Armed police have captured an ex-soldier wanted in connection with an alleged crossbow triple murder which claimed the lives of the wife and two daughters of a BBC racing commentator.

Detectives said 26-year-old Kyle Clifford received medical treatment after he was apprehended in the Enfield area of ​​north London on Wednesday afternoon following a major manhunt.

Hertfordshire Police said he was found with injuries and that no shots were fired by police in their search for Clifford, who was feared to be armed with a crossbow.

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Meanwhile, tributes have poured in for three members of “the gentlest and most beautiful family” killed in a “targeted” attack at their home in Bushey, Hertfordshire.

The BBC confirmed on its news website that the victims were Carol, 61, the wife of BBC racing commentator John Hunt, and two of their daughters – Hannah Hunt, 28, a beautician, and her sister Louise, 25, who ran a dog grooming business.

Officers were called to Ashlyn Close, Bushey, just before 7pm on Tuesday after neighbors heard screams in the quiet cul-de-sac.

Inside, they found three seriously injured women. Despite the best efforts of paramedics, all three members of the family were pronounced dead at the scene.

Hertfordshire Constabulary hunted Clifford, from the Enfield area, overnight. Detectives asked Clifford to contact police on Wednesday, while warning members of the public to stay away from him and to call 999.

Armed officers were seen raiding a flat in Enfield and swarming a cemetery, with a nearby primary school on lockdown, before police confirmed he had been located that afternoon.

Footage captured by Sky News appears to show him being taken out of Lavender Hill Cemetery before being loaded into an ambulance.

Clifford, who is said to be known to the Hunt family, left the British Army in 2022 after a short spell of service, The Independent understand.

A former army chief said Sun. that he was “immature for his age and had a bit of a chip on his shoulder”, adding that he worked in private security after leaving the force.

In a note to Mr Hunt’s colleagues at BBC 5 Live, the broadcaster described the tragedy as “utterly devastating”.

It reads: “Today’s news about John Hunt’s family is absolutely devastating. Our thoughts are with John and his family at this incredibly difficult time and we will offer all the support we can.”

Shocked residents left flowers at the scene as they spoke of their horror, paying tribute to the “most gentle and beautiful family”, who are understood to have a third daughter.

One tribute read: “Hannah Louise and Carol I wish none of this was real. I wish I could hug you all and tell you how much you meant to me. I wish you could hug each other. Love you forever.”

Another read: “Words cannot express how devastated I am that you are gone. The sweetest beautiful family. Always loved.”

A neighbor has revealed how she heard screams from the family’s four-bedroom home as the attack took place on Tuesday night.

The 46-year-old, who works in the media and lives near the scene but asked not to be named, said “absolute chaos” broke out as armed police blocked the road.

She said: “It was between 6.30 and 7pm last night and it literally sounded like kids, someone screaming, then it was more shrill and I said, ‘that’s definitely a woman screaming’ and in 15 minutes, it was absolute chaos.

“We had armed police running around, shouting ‘stay in your house’ … they shut us down and basically shut us down.”

Another neighbor Glyn Nicholas, 77, said the “close-knit” family had lived on the road for nearly 20 years and Louise later set up her dog grooming business in an outhouse in the garden their.

He said telegraph: “Louise broke up with her boyfriend a few days ago and crashed her car into a telegraph pole because she was so upset when she came home. She is a nice and caring girl. She runs a dog grooming business in Bushey.

“Also, her sister Hannah and mum Carol are lovely. Everything is so sad. Louise was a sweet and pretty girl. They all were. It’s so sad for everyone.”

Locals Simon and Tracey Bowler said the tragedy was “overwhelming” and “very sad” as they paid tribute to the family, who always said “hello” to them when they walked their dogs past the house.

Messages of condolence were also posted on social media by figures from the racing world.

ITV racing commentator Matt Chapman wrote on X: “No words needed for what happened to @HuntyCaller and family today.

“I can’t understand the pain. Just know we are all here for you John. We love you mate – racing loves you.”

Former BBC racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght said the entire racing community extended its “sympathy, love and support” to Mr Hunt.

He said: “There are no words. Like everyone else, I feel numb and sick on John’s behalf for such incomprehensible evil.

“Everyone who knows John knows he’s the archetypal family man, so proud of them, it’s impossible to know what he might be going through.”

Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit confirmed that officers are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

“Following extensive enquiries, the suspect has been located and no one else is wanted in connection with the investigation at this time,” she said.

“We have had an overwhelming number of calls and would like to express our gratitude to members of the public who have contacted us.

“We would still appeal for anyone with information or footage to contact the police directly and refrain from commenting on social media as this could affect the progress of the case. We have set up an information portal where people can submit any information, photos or video footage they feel could help us in our investigation.

“This incident will, of course, concern local residents. Other local officers will be in the area today so please speak to them if necessary.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she was being kept fully informed of the investigation into the “truly shocking” deaths, while vowing to look closely at controls around crossbows.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: “We keep the legislation under constant review and earlier this year a call for evidence was launched to see if further controls should be introduced on crossbows.

“The Home Secretary will quickly consider the results to see if the laws need to be tightened further.”

Local councilor Laurence Brass, who also lives nearby, told the BBC the area was “a typical British leafy suburb”.

He said: “At around eight o’clock last night I was watching football on TV and suddenly a helicopter landed on the lawn outside my flat which is at the top of this road and then my phone started ringing and Mi it was said that there had been a major incident here in bushey and that we should all stay away as apparently there was someone on the run.

“It’s not something that happens in Bushey. We don’t recall a murder in our fairly quiet neck of the woods, so (it’s a) terrible shock and our sympathies, prayers and thoughts are with the families of the three women.”

Fellow councilors Louise Nicolas, Alan Matthews and Paul Richards said they were “deeply shocked” by the tragedy.

“As North Bushey councillors, we send our thoughts and condolences to their families and all those affected,” they added.

A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said: “We were called at around 7pm on Tuesday 9 July to a property in Ashlyn Close, Bushey.

“Three ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, an ambulance officer vehicle, the Hazardous Area Response Team, the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance and the London Air Ambulance were sent to the scene.

“Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the team, three women were pronounced dead at the scene.”