Triple murder: man held

Police hunting the killer of a woman and her two young children who were stabbed to death in their home arrested a man today.

The arrest came as a nationwide police hunt was under way for the killer who shocked a close-knit housing estate in Bracknell, Berkshire.

A Pakistani woman, Shazia Zaidi, and her children, Saba, seven, and Zeeshan, six, were found stabbed to death at their terraced home in Highfield yesterday afternoon.

Paramedics and police had been alerted to the property by a frantic call for help when a distraught child dialled 999, saying: "My dad's gone mad."

Detective Superintendent Trevor Davies, of Thames Valley Police, said post mortems were being carried out today on the two children, who were discovered in an upstairs bedroom, and the Mrs Zaidi, who was found in the lounge.

He said: "This is a horrendous offence, especially with two small children being involved."

Neighbours reported a man running from the house with a knife in his hand before speeding off in a car following the tragedy at 4pm.

Mr Davies confirmed that the woman's former husband, whom police had been hunting, did not live at the address where the murders took place.

Today's arrest, at about 10.30am, was at a house in High Wycombe, Berks.