A woman who was eight months pregnant has died after being stabbed in Croydon, south London.

A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in police custody.

The 26-year-old victim suffered fatal knife wounds and entered cardiac arrest when she was attacked in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service (LAS) were called to the scene, a residential address on Raymead Avenue, Thornton Heath, at 3.36am.

“We sent an incident response officer, two ambulance crews, two medics in response cars and an advanced paramedic to the scene. We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance,” a spokesperson said,

“We took one person to hospital as a priority. Sadly, despite the extensive efforts of medics, another person died at the scene.”

Detectives were called to the address by the LAS at 3.30am.

The infant was delivered alive at the crime scene but LAS staff were unable to save the young mother.

“Despite the efforts of paramedics, the victim sadly died at the scene,” a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said.

The infant was taken to hospital and remains there in a critical condition.

The victim’s next of kin has been informed but she is yet to be publicly identified.

Detectives said they were keeping an open mind regarding her attacker’s motive.

“Violence against women is endemic in society and devastating murders in the home, like this one, show the scale of the problem we face,” said Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London.

“My prayers are with this innocent child, and with the mother it has so tragically lost.”

“This is a horrific incident in which a young mother has lost her life and her child is critically ill,” said DCI Mick Norman from the Metropolitan Police.

“Our sympathies go out to her devastated family; they are being supported by specially trained officers following this awful event, and I would ask that they are left alone at this time as they come to terms with the enormity of what has happened.”

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A large crime scene is in place on Raymead Avenue.

Detectives placed a police cordon around the two-storey semi-detatched house.

Three uniformed officers were stationed outside and lights could be seen inside the property, which is in a quiet street near Croydon University Hospital.

Police officers said it the crime scene likely to remain in place for some time.

Neighbours said that three women, one of whom was pregnant, lived in the house.

“At the forefront of our enquiries is understanding what exactly has lead to these tragic circumstances, and we are doing everything we can to establish the facts,” Mr Norman said.

The victim’s post mortem will be held in due course.

Steve Reed, the Labour and Co-operative MP for Croydon North, described the victim’s killing as an “unspeakably horrific murder.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with her baby now struggling for life,” he said.