DETECTIVES have launched a murder investigation after a teenager was knifed to death and a woman seriously injured in rural Worcestershire.
West Mercia Police were last night quizzing seven people about the brutal stabbing, which happened at around 5.30pm on Friday on Hartlebury Common.
Locals say the victim was a 19 year-old, and cops have revealed he was stabbed twice through the heart in the savage attack.
The woman, thought to be the dead man’s mother, was fighting for her life in hospital last night after suffering head and neck injuries in the assault.
A post-mortem examination is due to be carried out on the victim’s body over the weekend.
Police have yet to confirm the teenager’s identity, but he is understood to have been a member of the travelling community.
The picturesque Hartlebury Common nature reserve sits near a large caravan park on the Worcester Road, near Stourport-on-Severn.
Last night, his family told the Sunday Mercury they were too distraught to talk about the brutal stabbing, saying only: “We’re shattered”.
One worker from the nearby Sandy Lane Industrial Estate said staff had heard that a ‘young lad’ and his parents had been attacked on the common.
“It was a complete shock when I heard what had happened,” she said.
“A young boy has been stabbed and his parents attacked – it is not something you would expect round here.
“I live nearby and I heard the helicopters flying overhead in the early evening.
“The island coming off the Worcester Road was sealed off last night but the tape had been removed this morning.
“I knew something had happened, but I just heard this morning that someone had been killed – a young lad was stabbed.”
A local pub landlady said: “There were lots of police cars going up the road last night.
“Nobody has been told anything about what happened.
“We’ve been here for a year, and it’s shocking that anything like this could happen around here.
“It’s a very quiet, out of the way area. All we get really is dog walkers, horse riders, just people looking to relax in the countryside.”
Hartlebury Common remained sealed off last night as forensic experts scoured the scene of the killing.
Officers were also carrying out door to door enquiries at the caravan park.
Police said that the seven people arrested on Friday are still helping detectives with their inquiries.
Anyone with information on the attack should call police on 0300 333 3000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
