Two arrested at airport after woman, 76, found dead at house

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 76-year-old woman was found dead in south London.

A 28-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman were detained at Stansted Airport in the early hours of Friday in connection with the death of Nelly Akomah.

Ms Akomah was found fatally injured at a house in Ladbrook Road, Croydon, on Wednesday morning after a suspected burglary.

Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn, of the Metropolitan Police, said: “First and foremost my thoughts are with Nelly’s family and friends. Nelly was active in her church and her loss will be keenly felt by many people.

“The arrests mark substantial progress in what is a fast-moving investigation.

“I don’t underestimate the level of concern in the local community following this shocking incident and there are various suggestions circulating about what may have happened.

“At this stage, we are investigating the possibility that there was a burglary at Nelly’s address. I must stress that our investigation is in its very early stages and we are working to establish what exactly happened.

“I want to reiterate my appeal to the wider public. We need to know what led to Nelly’s sad death. If you haven’t already spoken to officers and you have information, footage or anything that could help our investigation please do so without delay.

“Were you in the area of Ladbrook Road, Croydon, during the evening of 20 June between 2200 hours and midnight? Do you have any dashcam footage? Did you see anyone else in the area or any activity that you thought may be out of the ordinary? If you can help, we need to hear from you.”

A post-mortem examination is under way and police are awaiting the results.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting reference CAD 2540/21Jun, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.