Deaths of police officer and child 'awful' for West Mercia colleagues

Flowers on Saturday were left at the property where the bodies of a police officer and a three-year-old child were found

An investigation into the deaths of a police officer and a child is "awful" for his force colleagues who "have to deal with this tragedy", an MP says.

The man, 39, who served the West Mercia force, was found along with the three-year-old at a house in Kidderminster on Friday.

Local MP Mark Garnier said the thought of police attending and finding one of their own "breaks my heart".

There is no "wider concern to the public", police officials say.

Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier said police finding the body of one of their own "breaks my heart"

Emergency crews were called to reports of a medical emergency at the property on Cairndhu Drive at about 09:20 BST.

West Mercia Police said on Friday the pair's deaths were being treated as unexplained.

Mr Garnier, Tory member for the Worcestershire constituency of Wyre Forest, said: "Whenever anybody who is young dies and a child dies, it's always absolutely heartbreaking at any level, but I think that whenever it's somebody that's within the police force - this is somebody who has spent his working life looking after all of us - it's really tragic."

He added: "But the other thing which also breaks my heart is the police that come along and have to deal with this tragedy could easily be friends, and are certainly colleagues, of this poor chap - and I think it must just be awful for the police... when it's one of their own that they're having to deal with."

Neighbour Sharon Hyrons laid flowers at the scene on Saturday

Neighbour Sharon Hyrons said she wanted to leave flowers at the property on Saturday to let the family know she was thinking of them "at such a sad time".

She said: "It's a lovely neighbourhood. I've lived up here for 50-odd years so when it's actually on your doorstep, you don't expect anything like this to happen... it's such a tragedy, young lives."

West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said it was a "terrible incident".

He told the BBC: "I have been reassured by West Mercia Police that they will work hard to get to the bottom of what has happened in this case, and there isn't a wider concern to the public.

"But ultimately a terrible tragedy has happened within the heart of our community and we must now make sure we know what happened but also support those that are left in that community."

Ambulance crews and police were called to the house on Friday morning