Ealing murder: Man arrested as woman, 77, found dead at home

Postmortem finds cause of woman’s death to be head injury

Representative: Police officers stand guard in London (AFP via Getty Images)

Police on Wednesday arrested a pensioner on suspicion of murder after a 77-year-old woman was found dead in her home in west London.

Metropolitan Police officers found her body in Harold Road, Ealing, just before 7pm on Sunday following concerns for her welfare. While the officers attended along with the London Ambulance Service, the woman was pronounced dead there.

The investigators arrested a 74-year-old man at the scene on suspicion of murder before he was taken to hospital due to concerns for his health.

A special post-mortem conducted on Tuesday, 27 June found the cause of the woman’s death to have been a head injury, with police adding that the suspect and victim were known to each other.

Detective superintendent Rebecca Reeves said: "I know that local people will be shocked by this incident and additional foot patrols are being conducted to reassure the community.

"Our colleagues from the Specialist Crime Command are progressing their investigation. One person has been arrested and we aren’t seeking anyone else in connection with this incident.

"I encourage anyone with concerns to speak with officers on patrol or contact their neighbourhood policing team.

"Our thoughts are very much with the victim’s family."

Additional reporting from PA