A fugitive accused of murdering three people with a crossbow has been stretchered away from the scene after being caught in a cemetery following a huge manhunt.
Kyle Clifford, 26, was seen being bundled into the back of an ambulance in the Hilly Fields area of Enfield, north London, by armed police and paramedics on Wednesday afternoon.
Witnesses said they saw the suspect being stretchered away while receiving medical treatment before he was taken to Royal London Hospital.
Officers said ‘no shots were fired by police’ and Clifford is being treated at a major trauma centre for his injuries.
A London Ambulance spokesperson said: ‘Ambulance crews and London’s air ambulance attended an incident in Lavender Hill Cemetery, Enfield, this afternoon. We treated a man at the scene and took him to a major trauma centre.’
Clifford became Britain’s most wanted man after police said they were hunting the ex-soldier in connection with the ‘murders’ of Carol Hunt, 61, and her two daughters Hannah, 28, and Louise, 25, who is the ex-girlfriend of Clifford.
The women, who are the wife and daughters of BBC Five Live racing commentator John Hunt, were found fatally injured inside their £800,000 detached home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, last night.
Police sources said the women had been tied up before they were shot dead with a crossbow in a ‘targeted attack’ that may have also included ‘other weapons’.
The suspect can be seen receiving medical treatment on a stretcher in the cemetery in North London
Doorbell footage shows a man believed to be Kyle Clifford walking away from a house containing the dead bodies of his ex-girlfriend, her mother and her sister in Bushey yesterday evening. He is allegedly seen with what appears to be the crossbow he allegedly used in the attack
Suspect Kyle Clifford with his ex-girlfriend Louise Hunt, who was one of the three victims
A huge manhunt is underway to find suspect Kyle Clifford, 26, who is the ex-boyfriend of John’s daughter Louise
The man received medical assistance before being taken to Royal London Hospital
Kyle Clifford dropped out of the army weeks before he is alleged to have murder three people
Armed police searching Lavender Hill cemetery in Enfield as the hunt for fugitive Kyle Clifford took a new turn
Forensics were seen outside Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield as the manhunt for Kyle Clifford continued
Locals deliver floral tributes near to the scene in Bushey where three women have been killed
An ambulance at the scene at Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield
A police cordon outside Watford Hight Street Station in Hertfordshire
A police cordon outside Watford Hight Street Station in Hertfordshire as the search for Clifford continued
Chilling doorbell footage emerged of what is believed to be the suspect fleeing the scene on Ashlyn Close in Bushey carrying what appeared to be a crossbow concealed underneath a white sheet shortly before 7pm yesterday.
As police scoured the area, their attention turned to Clifford’s hometown of Enfield, with officers carrying out raids and locking down primary schools in a bid to catch him.
Armed police and paramedics were filmed this afternoon running into Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield as the hunt continued for Clifford, a former soldier and security guard.
Later, armed police closed down the cemetery, a five-minute walk from the house linked to the suspect. Up to four black-clad officers – two carrying automatic rifles – stood guard at the cemetery gates, preventing members of the public from entering.
Meanwhile, an ambulance rushed into the cemetery grounds with blue lights flashing and sirens on. It re-emerged about 20 minutes later, still in emergency mode.
A woman delivers floral tributes near to the scene in Bushey, Hertfordshire
A view of the scene in Bushey where the wife and two daughters of a BBC sports commentator have been killed
A view of the scene in Hertfordshire where the wife and two daughters of a BBC sports commentator have been killed at their home
The suspect is allegedly seen coming out of an alleyway and walking towards a car (seen on the left of this grab)
The man opens the car door and gets inside before driving off
Victim Louise Hunt is the ex-girlfriend of crossbow suspect Kyle Clifford
Hannah Hunt, sister of Louise and daughter of John, also died after being shot with a crossbow at the family’s £800,000 home
Carol Hunt, who was married to BBC horse racing commentator John Hunt (pictured together), was found fatally injured along with her two daughters at her home last night
John with his wife Carol, who was found with fatal injuries at their £800,000 detached house in Bushey, Hertfordshire last night
Carol Hunt (pictured) and her two daughters were tied up before being shot with a crossbow, MailOnline understands
Police stand at a cordon in front and blue tent which has been erected outside a property in Bushey, Hertfordshire
Armed police search Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield as the hunt for Clifford continues
Teams of armed police were seen searching Lavender Hill Cemetery this afternoon
Police have launched a huge manhunt for Clifford
Two helicopters were also spotted hovering- one believed to be an air ambulance which landed in the cemetery grounds.
Local resident Rae Cresswell, 26, told how she was going for a walk in the cemetery when she saw armed officers.
‘They just said have you heard the news, said they were searching and asked if I wanted to leave,’ she said.
‘I said ”no”, and stayed for a while and they were going around looking around the trees and the graves.
‘I wasn’t scared, they said first thing this morning that it was a domestic so I didn’t think I was in any danger.’
A friend of Louise said she was ‘always a positive person’ and that he could not think of ‘anything bad to say about her’.
He told BBC News: ‘I knew Louise back from school days and she was really sweet, very kind, always a positive person.
‘I can’t think of anything bad to say about her – a really lovely person all round, a super hardworking person. It’s been a massive shock.’
Cornelius Lysaght described the tragedy as ‘such incomprehensible evil’ as he led the support for his BBC Radio colleague.
Racegoers observed a minute’s silence while jockeys rode wearing black armbands on Wednesday evening to pay their respects to the family. Both actions will be repeated again on Thursday as the sport shows support for Mr Hunt and his family.
Earlier, officers raided a house where Clifford is known to live, with dramatic footage from today showing officers storming the property.
Police have found the suspect’s car and are now searching a nearby park. Members of the public have been told to immediately call 999 if they see Clifford but not approach him, describing him as dangerous and potentially still armed.
Nearby schools have gone into precautionary lockdowns, with teachers at one primary telling parents to collect their children at the end of the day and take them directly home.
The BBC has called the murders ‘utterly devastating’, adding in a note to staff: ‘Our thoughts are with John and his family at this incredibly difficult time and we will provide him with all the support we can.’
Clifford’s neighbours told today how police had put the road into lockdown as a house was searched by armed officers.
They spoke as two police helicopters hovered above the neighbourhood and two uniformed PCs stood guard at the door of the terraced home.
One local mother told how she arrived back from dropping her children off at school to find armed police at the house opposite hers.
‘They had cordoned off the road and were ushering people away from the house they were going into,’ she told MailOnline. ‘They had the full protective gear on, guns, shields and helmets – the kind you’d expect to see in riots.
‘They let me through to get home and they remained there for about an hour before they left. Then there was just the ordinary police there. ‘I don’t know the family at all. I know the father passed away some time ago but that’s about it.’
Two armed police officers stand guard at the scene on a street in Bushey
A blue and white forensic tent has been erected in the front garden of one of the homes in the cul-de-sac in Bushey where the killings took place
One woman who lives across the road from the house said he had been working from home when she heard a commotion.
‘I was upstairs, when I heard cars honking and then looked out the window and realised that there were police there,’ she said.
‘I came down and looked across. And they were saying ”armed police” and then they went right in. There were dogs barking and everyone realised there was something big going on.’
The mother added: ‘We’ve now been told that my daughter’s school around the corner has gone into an amber lockdown. A few other schools have shut their doors as well. So we’re just a little bit worried. I think everyone is really, really concerned.’
The BBC confirmed that Mr Hunt’s wife and two daughters had died and messages of condolence have been posted on social media by figures from the racing world.
ITV racing commentator Matt Chapman wrote on X: ‘No words needed for what has happened to @HuntyCaller and family today.
‘Impossible to comprehend the pain. Just know we are all here for you John. We love you pal – racing loves you.’
The Amateur Jockeys Association of Great Britain and Beverley Racecourse were among others sending their sympathies.
Forensics outside a home in Ashlyn Close, Bushey, where three women were found ‘murdered’
Dramatic footage shows police storming a home in Enfield as part of the hunt for triple murder suspect Kyle Clifford, 26
Police – seen during the raid – have found the suspect’s car and are now searching a nearby park
Armed police have been seen carrying out a thorough search of Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield
An officer walks through foliage in Lavender Hill Cemetery this afternoon
This morning, the usually quiet cul-de-sac in Bushey where the killings took place was swarming with armed police and forensic officers.
One neighbour, who lives on the ‘serene and quiet road’ and did not want to be named, said she did not know the victims well but they were a ‘friendly family’.
‘We would see them every day passing by and they would say ‘good morning’,’ she said. ‘It’s really sad what’s happened, very shocking.’
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is being kept ‘fully updated’ on the killings and has urged anyone with information about the case to contact police.
The Labour MP said in a post on X: ‘The loss of three women’s lives in Bushey last night is truly shocking. My thoughts are with the family & friends of those who have been killed & with the community.
‘I am being kept fully updated. I urge people to support (Hertfordshire Police) with any information about this case.’
One local resident, who lives on a nearby street, told MailOnline that his friends went to school with some of the victims.
He said: ‘From 7pm there were like 20 police cars coming down, four ambulances and then armed police came and they were here till midnight.
‘I know of them (the victims). So a few of them went to school with people that I know. That’s all I know. I didn’t know them personally.
‘I know they went to schools in the area. They didn’t go to my school.’
A paramedic can be seen talking into his radio at the crime scene while a police officer stands guard at one of the houses
Police in Ashlyn Close, Bushey, Hertfordshire, where three women died last night
A police car is seen parked up outside a police cordon in Ashlyn Close, Bushey
Local councillor Laurence Brass, who lives nearby, said the area is ‘a typical leafy British suburb’.
He told the BBC: ‘At about eight o’clock last night, I was watching the football on television, and suddenly a helicopter landed in the lawn outside my flat, which is at the top of this road, and then my phone started going, and I was told that there was a major incident here in Bushey and we should all keep away because there was somebody apparently on the run.
‘This is not something that happens in Bushey.
‘We can’t remember a murder in our rather quiet neck of the woods, so (it’s a) terrible shock and our sympathies and prayers and thoughts are with the families of the three women.
‘That really is a terrible thing to happen to anybody, and I’ve gathered they’re all from the same family, which obviously makes it even more tragic, and we’ll do everything we can as the local council to add our source of comfort where we can.’
Another man who lives close to the murder scene in Bushey said the incident was ‘tragic’ and claimed the victims were ‘a middle class family’.
Riaz, who is in his 50s and declined to give a second name, said: ‘At 6 o’clock, my wife called me while I was at work, saying ‘there are so many police cars down the road which I’ve never seen before’, and she was distressed.
‘I didn’t know (what had happened) at that point, then at that very moment my nephew phoned me saying something tragic had happened and was I OK. I came early evening and I saw the cars and realised something tragic had happened.
‘This has been an awful situation and I can’t even imagine what the family must be going through.
‘My wife and I walk down that road often and it is quiet. It is surprising, especially in the magnitude. To have three individuals who have been tragically killed, it is tragic.’
An aerial view of the scene of the suspected triple murder in Bushey, Hertfordshire
Two officers stand outside a police cordon at the scene of a triple murder in Ashlyn Close
A lone police officers patrols the road at the scene of a triple murder in Ashlyn Close
Another resident living in the proximity of the attacks described the terrifying police response that descended on the quiet cul-de-sac.
They said: ‘There were 11 police cars, an armed response unit, 4 ambulances and a fire engine.
‘We’re not allowed to park on our driveway and have had to park round the corner. Whatever happened, it’s really bad and everyone is shaken up.’
Telecoms specialist Diaz Hussein, who is in his 50s, told The Telegraph he didn’t recognise Clifford and had ‘not noticed him around here before’.
He added: ‘It’s absolutely terrifying. Everyone around here is deeply shocked.
‘This is a lovely friendly street where everyone gets on. Lots of professionals live here and we all get on very well. I’m stunned at what’s happened.’
Detective Superintendent Rob Hall from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit said: ‘This is an incredibly difficult incident for the victims’ family and we would ask that their privacy is respected as they come to terms with what has happened.
‘Whilst we are still in the early stages of this investigation, we are actively seeking Kyle Clifford who we believe could be in the areas of Hertfordshire or North London.
‘Given the serious nature of the incident, I would ask anyone who knows where he is to contact police immediately. If you believe you see him, please do not approach him and dial 999 straight away.
‘He may still be in possession of a weapon.’
Several police cars can also been seen parked on the road. One resident claimed 11 police cars, an armed response unit, 4 ambulances and a fire engine descended on the scene last night
An officer stands next to a police a car outside the scene of a triple murder in Ashlyn Close, Bushey
A police officer walks down the road at the site of a triple murder in Bushey on Wednesday