Two men have been arrested over the murder of three victims shot dead in front of a three-tear-old girl at a suburban semi in Essex. Hertfordshire Police said the pair were detained in Stevenage last night and are being questioned by detectives.

Father and son Keith, 52, and Matthew Cowell, 17, from Bishop's Stortford, and Tony Dulieu, 33, from Billericay, were killed on Tuesday night.

The two gunmen also wounded two women, aged 54 and 23, during the attack in Plaw Hatch Close in the commuter town of Bishop's Stortford.

The women are in a "serious but stable" condition in hospital under police guard.

The unharmed toddler, named by neighbours as Angel, is being cared for by family members, officers said.

Locals said the younger woman, whom they identified as Clare, was Angel's mother and Matthew Cowell's girlfriend. The older woman was said to be Keith Cowell's sister.

On Wednesday night police used a crane to remove two BMW cars, thought to belong to the victims.

The suspected gunmen, described as Asians in their 20s, sped off from the scene in a small red car towards the M11.

Police would only say that the attack was "targeted" and the investigation "progressing".

  • Anyone with any information about the shooting can ring police on 01707 354432.