Latest news on Kyle Clifford: Wife and daughters of BBC commentator John Hunt killed in crossbow murders in Bushey

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is currently examining in detail the findings of a Home Office investigation into whether stricter laws on the use of crossbows need to be introduced following the deaths of racing commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters.

The previous Conservative government had considered tightening laws related to 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 in an attempt to kill the late Queen.

Currently, no license is required to own a crossbow. However, it is illegal to carry a crossbow in public without a valid reason.

A ministry spokesman said: “This is an appalling incident and the Home Secretary is being kept informed by the police.”

“We continually review the legislation and launched an evidence-gathering exercise earlier this year to consider whether further controls on crossbows should be introduced.

“The Interior Minister will examine the results promptly to decide whether the laws need to be further tightened.”

As The Independent has learned, Kyle Clifford left the British Army in 2022 after a short period of service.

It is unclear why Mr Clifford left the armed forces after such a short time.

Children at an Enfield primary school must stay at home while police search for triple murder suspect Kyle Clifford.

Jade-Simone Bacon, headteacher of St Michael’s CofE Primary School in Brigadier Hill, Enfield, said pupils were not allowed outside.

However, parents will be able to pick up their children at the end of the school day “at normal times,” Ms Bacon confirmed.

She said: “We locked both buildings and kept the kids inside. So we didn’t let them out on the field or the playground. It’s not a lockdown in the sense of under the tables or hiding or anything, it’s just a lighter lockdown.”

“We just kept them in the building as if it was a rainy game day so we wouldn’t stress the kids out and keep everything as calm as possible.”

Ms Bacon said police carried out a “reassurance visit” to the primary school on Wednesday.

As the manhunt for Kyle Clifford continues, armed police searched a property on Rendlesham Road in Enfield on Wednesday.

Two helicopters were spotted circling over the Hilly Fields area of ​​Enfield, north London. Video footage from The sun showed armed police officers entering a property.

A source told the newspaper: “It’s a really strong reaction – and shocking for everyone to see.”

“They stormed the house and spent quite a while inside. It seemed like no one was there.”

In a statement to BBC 5 Live staff on Wednesday, the broadcaster described the incident, which claimed the lives of Carol Hunt and her two daughters, as “utterly devastating”. Carol is the wife of racing commentator John Hunt.

The note read: “Today’s news about John Hunt’s family is absolutely devastating.

“Our thoughts are with John and his family during this incredibly difficult time and we will provide him with all the support we can.”

An aerial view of the crime scene in Ashlyn Close in Bushey, where John Hunt’s wife Carol and two of their daughters were killed.

The manhunt for 26-year-old Kyle Clifford from the Enfield area is still ongoing. He is wanted in connection with the triple murder, police said.

Figures from the world of racing posted messages of condolence on social media after the wife of BBC Five Live racing commentator John Hunt and two of their daughters were killed.

ITV racing commentator Matt Chapman wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter: “There are no words needed for what happened to HuntyCaller and his family today.

“It’s impossible to understand the pain. Just know that we’re all here for you, John. We love you, mate – racing loves you.”

The Amateur Jockeys Association of Great Britain and Beverley Racecourse, among others, sent their condolences.

Neighbor Jill Philips, 70, said she was “shocked and horrified” when she learned of the killings.

Ms Philips told The Independent: “Nothing like this has ever happened here before.”

“As neighbors, we are simply devastated. We are shocked and appalled. I can’t imagine how her family is coping with this.”

As we previously reported, the three women killed in a crossbow attack in Bushey, Hertfordshire, were Carol Hunt, the wife of BBC commentator John Hunt, and two of their daughters.

The BBC confirmed that Hunt’s wife and two daughters, Hannah and Louise, have died. Hunt is pictured below with his wife Carol.

Police have directly asked possible armed triple murder suspect Kyle Clifford to “make contact” as the manhunt continues.

Clifford, from Enfield, north London, is wanted in connection with the deaths of the women, aged 25, 28 and 61, who were found fatally injured in a house in Ashlyn Close, Bushey, shortly after 7pm on Tuesday.