Woman fighting for her life following ‘attack’ in Ilford

A woman is fighting for her life after a suspected attack in East London.

Police rushed to Cranbrook Road in Ilford following reports of an assault at 2.44am on Sunday.

Officers found a woman suffering with serious head injuries at the scene. She remains in critical condition.

Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell, who leads the Met’s East Area BCU, said: “Our investigation is at a very early stage, but we believe the woman had been assaulted.

“Urgent enquiries are under way to identify the woman and make contact with her family. At present, we do not know who she is.

“Teams of dedicated officers are working at pace to establish what happened and identify whoever was responsible. This includes full forensic examination of the scene and the surrounding area, house to house enquiries and a focus on identifying all available CCTV. There has been no arrest at this stage.

“Local people will see a significant police presence in the area today and in the coming days. If you have any information, or concerns that you wish to discuss, please talk to these officers.

“It is vital that officers speak with every possible witness and everyone with information that may assist the investigation.

“We are appealing for anyone who was in the Cranbrook Road area of Ilford between 2.30am and 3.00am on Sunday morning to get in touch, including anyone who drove through the area and may have dashcam footage. We also want to hear from anyone who saw anything suspicious in the wider Ilford area overnight.”

Anyone with information or footage, or any witnesses, are asked to call 101 and quote reference 953/26jun.

Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org. They will never ask your name. They cannot trace your call, your IP address or the device you use.