Post by Taxigirl on Nov 19, 2003 10:04:35 GMT
Three people have been shot dead in a Berkshire village.
Police officers were called to a house in Hermitage, near Newbury, at 1910 GMT on Tuesday after a woman reported seeing a man in his 40s armed with a gun.
They immediately sealed off the area and called in armed officers from nearby stations.
A siege continued until 0145 GMT on Wednesday when officers entered the house to find the bodies of a man and a woman.
Another body, a man in his teens, was found outside the house.
After the discovery of the bodies, police say they found a firearm inside the house.
Thames Valley Police say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
Part of the village remains cordoned off while scenes of crime officers gather evidence and other inquiries are carried out.
'Firearm recovered'
A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: "We sealed off an area around a house and firearms officers were deployed, along with colleagues from stations including Pangbourne and Newbury.
"At about 0145 GMT armed officers entered the house, where they found the body of a man and a woman, both in their late forties.
"The body of another man, aged in his teens, was found outside the house.
"They are all believed to have died from gunshot wounds.
"A firearm has been recovered from the house."
Police said the call was believed to have been made by the woman whose body was later found in the house.
They said firearms officers had not entered the building immediately because of the dangerous nature of the incident, and because they did not know the exact circumstances of what they were dealing with.
Post-mortem examinations are due to be carried out and formal identification is not expected until later this afternoon.
Part of the area remains cordoned off while scenes-of-crime officers gather evidence and other inquiries are carried out.