Neighbours tell of shock after girl, 8, dies after stabbing

● Schoolgirl found critically wounded after weekend ‘domestic incident’

A shocked mother told neighbours her “little girl” had been stabbed as they tried to comfort her after a knife attack.

Mylee Billingham, eight, was named by police yesterday as the schoolgirl who died in hospital after being found critically wounded in Brownhills, near Walsall, on Saturday night.

A 54-year-old man found with stab injuries at the bungalow in Valley View after what West Midlands Police said was a “domestic incident” is fighting for his life in hospital.

Neighbour Graham Greatrex, 74, told how emergency services rushed to the quiet street at 9:15pm.

Mr Greatrex, who lives a few doors from the crime scene, said as he helped the mother she said a man had “stabbed my little girl”.

He added: “She was in shock and she couldn’t say anything else.”

Yesterday the home was being searched by forensics experts in the cordoned-off, one-storey dwelling, which is believed to belong to the local authority.

It was one of a row of terraced bungalows in the street.

Detective Inspector Jim Colclough, who is leading the investigation, said: “We are still at the early stages of understanding exactly what

0 Eight-year-old Mylee Billingham, who was stabbed to death happened and why, but I can confirm we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this investigation.”

Mr Greatrex said that a man had lived there for the past six months after the previous occupier, a woman, had died.

But he said he did not know the current occupant.

He added: “It was a bit of a shock

“You can’t imagine it happening on our doorstep, especially when it’s a little girl.”

Other neighbours said they were also stunned at news that a child had died.

Bob Weir, who lives two doors away from the bungalow where the stabbing happened, said he had initially thought the incident was drug-related.

Mr Weir, 72, added that a middle-aged man lived at the now sealed-off property, apparently on his own.

The pensioner told reporters: “I didn’t know the bloke who lived there and he hadn’t lived there long, maybe six months, if that.”