Brownhills stabbing: Man arrested after girl, 8, killed

A man has been arrested after an eight-year-old girl was stabbed to death.

The child was found at an address in Valley View in Brownhills, near Walsall, with serious injuries, at 21:15 GMT on Saturday. She died in hospital a short time later.

The 54-year-old man is in a critical condition in hospital with a stab wound to his stomach.

West Midlands Police said the stabbing was being treated as a "domestic incident".

The arrested man will be questioned "in due course", the force added.

Det Insp Jim Colclough said no-one else was being sought in connection with the death.

"This is an absolutely tragic set of circumstances and my thoughts are with everyone who has been affected," he added.

"We are still at the early stages of understanding exactly what happened and why.

"Our family liaison team are supporting the family of the little girl, who are naturally devastated by her death."

A bungalow in Valley View remained cordoned off by police on Sunday.

Bob Weir, 72, who lives two doors away, said: "I didn't hear until this morning what it was and I was absolutely shocked.

"I didn't know the bloke who lived there and he hadn't lived there long, maybe six months, if that.

"I didn't know there were any kids in there. I thought he just lived on his own. I never saw a girl or a woman there."

Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "It's really sad. This is not the sort of area where you hear of anybody being stabbed."

Councillor Stephen Craddock, ward member for Brownhills on Walsall Council, said: "I was so sad to hear the news.

"All we can do is send our thoughts and prayers to the family."

Fellow ward member, councillor Kenneth Ferguson, added: "It is devastating, you don't expect things like this to happen on your doorstep.

"For something like this to happen to an eight-year-old child is unbelievable. I am lost for words."