Mother and children 'murdered'

A murder investigation into the deaths of a mother and her two young children is under way in the West Midlands.

Their bodies were found at a house in Willenhall in the Black Country on Christmas Eve with knife wounds, police said.

The victims have been named as Lisa Higgins, 25, and her daughters Demmy, three, and Keighley, six.

Police arrested a 27-year-old local man in connection with the deaths, after he was taken to hospital following a car crash in Shropshire.

Well decorated

Ms Higgins and her daughters were found at 1935 GMT, after police went to their home on Alton Avenue because of the car crash.

They said the home had been well decorated for Christmas.

A police spokesman said: "The victims are believed to have suffered knife wounds, however the precise cause of the deaths will not be known until after the post-mortems have taken place."

Scenes of crimes officers are at the sealed-off house

The home was sealed off while forensic examinations were carried out and police have been conducting house-to-house inquiries.

Post-mortem examinations are to be held on Friday to find out how the three died.

Officers said they were waiting to speak to the man they arrested about the deaths.

He was injured when a black Golf GTI hit a tree near Tong on the Shropshire/Staffordshire border.

Police said the man is being treated at a Shropshire hospital.

"The man is out of the operating theatre and stable but will require further surgery," the spokesman added.

Inspector Kevin Kelsely from West Midlands Police said the three deaths were being treated as murder.

'It's terrible'

After hearing about the deaths neighbours expressed their shock.

One resident, who did not wish to be named, said the family had lived in the street for three years and appeared to be happy.

She said: "I can't believe something like this has happened. It's terrible.

"It's something you don't expect in your own street."

Neighbour Debbie Bryan said: "The kids always used to leave their bikes outside in the front. They were always out there playing up and down.

"It's shocking, you wouldn't expect it, especially at Christmas."