Woman found beheaded in back garden 'with a machete' as man is held on suspicion of murder

A woman is believed to have been beheaded in a back garden with a machete today.

The victim was found at an address in Edmonton, north London, just after 1pm. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a 'madman with a machete' in the area.

Scotland Yard has so far refused to comment on reports she had been decapitated and given few details of what happened.

The force said: 'Police were called to an address in Nightingale Road at 13.07pm today to reports of a stabbing incident.

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Police at the scene: The victim was found at an address in Edmonton, north London, just after 1pm today

'On arrival officers discovered a female collapsed in a garden area.

'A man has been detained and remains in custody. At this very early stage we are not in a position to give further details.'

There is no suggestion that the killing had any terrorist motive.

A spokeswoman from the London Ambulance Service confirmed the victim was found dead at the scene.

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g stretch of the road in north London was cordoned off as police investigate

She said: 'We were called at 1.30pm to an incident in Nightingale Road, Edmonton. We sent a number of resources to the scene including London's Air Ambulance, an ambulance crew and a duty officer.

'Sadly a woman was pronounced dead at the scene by the doctor from London's Air Ambulance.' 

The road is a typical suburban street in the London Borough of Edmonton. The average house value on there is £310,000, while it is £275,000 in the local N9 postcode area. 

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Eyewitnesses reported seeing a 'madman with a machete' in the area, but a man has now been arrested in connection with the incident 

Police cordon: A man has been arrested after the woman was found at an address in north London this afternoon

Twitter users reacted with shock following the incident.

Kelly Gannon said: 'Edmonton makes me so sick there's always some kind of killing going on.' 

'Sultanic_10' said: 'Nightingale Road is where my secondary school was, there's obviously a secondary school and a primary school very nearby.'

And Alex Ioanno, of nearby Enfield, said: 'Used to walk down Nightingale Road every day and a woman's been beheaded. Stay safe people, it's a crazy world.' 

Fashion designer Moyowa Akitikori said on Twitter: 'Someone just beheaded near my road. I'm so not leaving my house.

'Just this afternoon is just so sad like I go running on Nightingale Road and just when I thought I lived in a safe area [sic].'

And Matthew Williamson ‏said: 'I chose the right day to be working off Nightingale Road. Woman [has] been beheaded on the next b***** road. What is wrong with this world?'

Cuckoo Hall Primary School is located just off Nightingale Road, but a spokesman declined to comment on the situation nearby when approached by MailOnline.

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