Car clue in stabbed mother probe

Abigail Witchalls teaches English to immigrant women

A blue Peugeot car was seen speeding close to where a mother was stabbed while walking with her young child.

Abigail Witchalls, 26, is critically ill in hospital after being stabbed in the neck, but her condition is said to have "slightly improved".

She was attacked on Wednesday as she pushed her 21-month-old son Joseph in a buggy in Little Bookham, Surrey.

Police said a man and a woman were in the Peugeot, which nearly smashed into a white lorry.

Det Supt Adrian Harper said three landscape gardeners were driving out of Burnhams Road at 1555 BST on Wednesday, around 20 minutes before the stabbing.

We are experiencing intense pain and sorrow at what has happened Abigail Witchalls' family Anxious villagers ask "why here?"

The Peugeot, described as being of an "older" style and "out of keeping with the neighbourhood", was travelling quickly in the opposite direction and nearly smashed into them.

The male driver is described as white, clean-shaven but possibly with some stubble, in his early 20s, and wearing earrings and a gold chain.

His female passenger is described as also being in her early 20s, slim, with blonde shoulder-length hair.

The attack happened on a private lane off Burnhams Road in Little Bookham, Surrey.

Police say they are treating it as attempted murder and have reiterated their "determination" to catch Mrs Witchalls' attacker.

Her family are... able to communicate with her in a small way but it is not at a level at this time for me to conduct an in-depth examination Det Supt Harper Surrey 'safest county in UK'

Her son Joseph was shocked but unhurt and is being looked after by family.

He was found out of his buggy and beside his mother on the ground.

A statement read out at a police press conference on Friday said: "We, Abigail's family, are experiencing intense pain and sorrow at what has happened.

"We ask everyone to join with us in prayer for Abigail and live in hope for the future."

Mrs Witchalls' relatives are keeping a bedside vigil at the St George's Hospital, south London.

Last rites

Responding to questions that Mrs Witchalls had been communicating with the family through blinking, Det Supt Harper said: "Her family are with her and at her bedside almost permanently and they are able to communicate with her in a small way."

But he said she was so seriously injured that she was given the last rites after the attack.

"We have some hope that she will be able to communicate with us in the days to come and that may well prove crucial in catching whoever is responsible for this horrific attack."

Det Supt Harper said: "Surrey Police are taking this incident extremely seriously... which means that we are throwing the entire resources of the force into solving it."

There has been some criticism that it took 18 hours from the time of the attack for a public appeal to be made.

Det Supt Harper said police arrived at the scene 11 minutes after the 999 call was made and added that more than 150 officers were working on the inquiry.

Officers have searched a large area for a weapon but say nothing had been found.

Det Supt Harper added there were no signs of a struggle, and nothing had been removed from the rucksack she had been carrying.