Mother and young daughter believed victims of murder

A wedding planner and her young daughter have been found dead at their home in a suspected double murder, after neighbours reported hearing a “loud bang”.

Laura Mortimer, 31, and Ella, her daughter, were declared dead at the scene in Dexter Way, near the centre of Gloucester, shortly before 5am yesterday, by police responding to reports that two people had been seriously injured.

A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. The Daily Telegraph understands the suspect fled the scene and was arrested in a nearby park after intervention from a police negotiator following concerns he might harm himself.

Online, friends paid tribute to the mother-of-three, whom they described as a “beautiful soul”, “someone to look up to”.

Neighbour April Mcmillan, 23, said: “I woke up at 4.30am this morning hearing a loud bang. I didn’t think anything of it because we’ve had roadworks around here and there’s been lots of bangs but this one was on its own. There are lots of police about. It’s very shocking, I can’t believe it.”