A 35-year-old man is being questioned after the suspected stabbing in the city

This article is more than 8 months old

This article is more than 8 months old

Detectives investigating the deaths of two people found in a flat in Belfast have arrested a 35-year-old man, police have said.

He has been taken to Musgrave police station for questioning after the bodies of a man and a woman were found in the apartment in the Kinniard Close area on Monday afternoon. Local sources said it is understood they suffered stab wounds.

Several nearby homes have been evacuated amid a major police operation in the area. Police have not confirmed any further details beyond the arrest and the deaths, saying the investigation was at an early stage.

SDLP councillor Paul McCusker said: “Just a few days before Christmas this is the worst kind of news for any family.

“Within the local community there is anger and sadness.”

McCusker said the pair found dead were both “characters” and well known in the area. “A few days before Christmas this couple’s poor family will get this devastating and horrific news that they have died in such conditions.”

Sinn Féin councillor JJ Magee said the area around the apartment was a “tragic scene”.

“Absolutely shocked, the community is shocked by the news that has come from this very, very serious situation,” he said. “It is an absolute tragic event.”

Magee said there would have been many children in the area around the time of the incident due to the Christmas holidays. Police forensic officers were examining the scene of the incident through Monday afternoon.

A PSNI helicopter was also circling above the area at intervals throughout the day. The officer leading the investigation, DCI Peter Montgomery, said: “At around 12.55pm police received a report from a member of the public that the bodies of two people had been discovered in a flat in the area.

“The circumstances of the deaths will now be subject to investigation and post-mortem examinations will take place in due course.

“At this stage it would not be appropriate to elaborate further on the circumstances as our inquiries are at an extremely early stage.”

The Northern Ireland ambulance service said it received a 999 call shortly after 1pm. “Following assessment and initial treatment at the scene, no one was transferred to hospital,” it said in a statement.