Suspected robber's arrest leads police to find woman's body in house - and officers fear two others 'may have come to harm'

A murder investigation has been launched after the arrest of a suspected armed robber led officers to find the body of a young woman inside a house.

Officers are also trying to trace a man and woman they believe "may have come to harm" in relation to the case, West Yorkshire Police said.

The force had arrested the 37-year-old suspect after they received reports of an armed robbery at an Asda in Dewsbury, at 9.21pm on Saturday.

Officers attended, arrested the man and seized a knife, the force said.

Following the arrest, the armed robbery suspect told officers about a woman who he believed to be dead inside a property on Norfolk Street in Batley.

Officers attended the address and found the body of a woman in her 20s.

A spokesperson for the force said formal identification is yet to take place.

The armed robbery suspect was subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder.

Officers are searching the Dewsbury area for the two other people they believe may have come to harm, with police present in the town centre, near to the River Calder and in Westtown.

The force is appealing to anyone with CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage to come forward.

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Detective Chief Inspector Dan Bates, of the homicide and major enquiry team, said: "This is clearly a very serious incident, where a young woman has lost her life.

"There is a heightened police presence in Dewsbury today as we work to establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident.

"Our immediate priority is to identify and locate the two people and establish whether or not they have come to any harm.

"A murder investigation is also under way and we do not believe there is any wider risk to the public at this time.

"We recognise this inquiry will cause concern in the community; we are working closely with our colleagues in the local neighbourhood policing team, who have stepped up patrols in the town centre."

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