Probe into Christmas Eve deaths

Lisa Higgins and her two daughters were found dead at their home

Post-mortem examinations are being carried out on a mother and her two young daughters who were found dead at home on Christmas Eve.

The bodies of Lisa Higgins, 25, Demmy, three, and Keighley, six, were found with knife wounds in their house in Willenhall, West Midlands.

Police found the bodies after making a routine call following a car crash involving a 27-year-old local man.

The man, who is recovering in hospital, has been arrested over the deaths.

He was found seriously injured in a vehicle which had smashed into a tree on the A41 in Shropshire, near Junction 3 of the M54.

Police found the three corpses after making a routine call to trace his relatives.

A West Midlands 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."

'Lively and sociable'

Police could not confirm whether the man was related to Ms Higgins or the two girls, and did not name him.

Assistant Chief Constable Anil Patani said it was not clear what had triggered the events at the well-kept semi at Alton Avenue.

"The circumstances surrounding what happened are unclear at this stage and inquiries are ongoing," he said.

But neighbour Debbie Bryan, who worked as a barmaid at the nearby Pool Hayes pub, described Ms Higgins and her partner Spencer as lively and sociable.

She said the couple would visit the pub every weekend and let the children play out in the garden.

"They were happy, normal," Ms Bryan added.

'It's terrible'

Other neighbours also expressed their shock.

One, 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."

The quiet side road outside the red brick property, decorated for Christmas, was sealed off as forensic teams examined the scene.

The man's condition is described as stable and he is expected to survive, but he will require further surgery.

Detectives are treating the deaths as murder and are waiting at his bedside to question him.