The Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, Jonathan Ash-Edwards, says the incident has sent send "shockwaves through the local community and across Hertfordshire".

"My thoughts are with the family and friends of the women who have been shockingly killed in this terrible incident in Bushey," he says.

"I am being kept updated by the police and I urge the public to support the police with any information about the whereabouts of the named suspect."

Alice Bhandhukravi
BBC London

Riad, who says he lives in the area, tells the BBC: "It’s quiet here.

"Not today obviously – this is a bit of a shock."

He says rumours spread on Tuesday evening that one person had been killed, and it was "chilling" to find out there were three victims.

He adds that he was at work when the police arrived, but his wife had called him because she was panicked by the number of emergency vehicles and road closures.

On the manhunt for Kyle Clifford, Riad urges his neighbours to be “sensible”, adding: "There were three people killed in one house, so we’re hoping it’s contained and this horrific situation won’t lead to other tragedies."

Ending the press conference, Ch Supt Jon Simpson said police believed it was a "targeted attack".

He said members of the public had been in contact to report possible sightings, and he urged people with information to keep contacting them.

The senior officer did not take any questions from the media.

Image source, PA Media

Ch Supt Jon Simpson made a direct plea to the suspect Kyle Clifford in his press conference, asking him to contact the police via 999.

He added that this incident would be "of concern" to local residents and that additional officers were in the area for people to speak to.

Ch Supt Jon Simpson described it as a "horrific incident" that involved the use of a crossbow, and that other weapons may have been used.

He said "extensive police resources" have been deployed to north London and the Bushey area.

Ch Supt Jon Simpson from Hertfordshire Constabulary starts the conference by reiterating that officers were called to a property before 19:00 on Tuesday.

They found three women with "serious injuries" who died a short time afterwards, he says.

He adds that the women were believed to be related and were aged 25, 28, and 61.

Lucy Manning
Special correspondent

I am outside Hatfield Police station. We are waiting for a statement from Ch Supt John Simpson in the next few minutes. At the moment it’s understood that Kyle Clifford is still on the run.

No arrest has been made.

Another resident of Ashlyn Close has described the screaming she heard on Tuesday night.

The 46-year-old, who did not want to be named, said: "It literally just sounded like kids, somebody screaming, and then it was more shrill and I was like 'that's definitely a woman screaming', and within 15 minutes, it was absolute chaos.

"We had armed police running down, screaming 'stay in your house'.... they shut us off and basically put us into lockdown."

Image source, DAWID WOJTOWICZ/BBC

Another neighbour on Ashlyn Close, Riaz, 50, said: "It is tragic and horrifying.

"There was a lot of activity from the police and ambulance last night - there were over a dozen cars. There was an air ambulance. The road was closed way past midnight. There is no access into the road.

"It is a decent neighbourhood. It is mostly retired people and professionals living here."

Hertfordshire Police's news conference is due to get under way at 12:30.

We'll be bringing you the key lines here, but you can also watch it live by clicking the "Watch live" button at the top of this page.

Stay with us for more.

Members of the public have said on social media there is heightened police presence near Gordon Hill Station, in Enfield, in north London.

Image source, DAWID WOJTOWICZ/BBC

Talking about the police activity in Bushey on Tuesday evening, Derek Turner, 73, who lives on Ashlyn Close, said: "It happened all of a sudden. The whole place went crackers.

"There were police cars everywhere - armed police in black uniforms with semi-automatic guns.

"I thought it was a terrorist thing."

Currently there is no requirement to have a licence for a crossbow, but it is illegal to carry one in public without a reasonable excuse.

The previous government had considered tightening the laws around crossbows after would-be assassin Jaswant Singh Chail was encouraged by an AI chatbot to break into Windsor Castle on Christmas Day 2021 with a loaded crossbow to kill the late Queen.

Image source, Dawid Wojtowicz/BBC

The new Home Secretary Yvette Cooper says she is being kept "fully updated" on the killings of the three women who were found in Bushey.

In a social media post on X, external, she writes: "The loss of three women's lives in Bushey last night is truly shocking.

"My thoughts are with the family & friends of those who have been killed & with the community.

"I am being kept fully updated. I urge people to support @HertsPolice, external with any information about this case."

Hertfordshire Police are to hold a press/media conference at Hatfield Police Station at 12:30.

Ch Supt Jon Simpson is due to update us with the latest from the triple murder inquiry.

Image source, Dawid Wojtowicz/BBC

A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said she did not know the victims well but they were a friendly family.

She said: "We would see them every day passing by and they would say good morning.

"It's really sad what's happened - very shocking."

We are expecting Hertfordshire Police to hold a press conference at lunchtime.

The East of England Ambulance Service said it was called at about 19:00 on Tuesday to a property in Ashlyn Close, Bushey.

A spokesperson said: "Three ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, an ambulance officer vehicle, the Hazardous Area Response Team, the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance and London Air Ambulance were sent to the scene. "Sadly, despite the team's best efforts, three women were pronounced dead at the scene."

BBC reporter Helena Wilkinson is in Bushey and says the house where the three women were found is at the other end of Ashlyn Close from where she is standing.