A 40-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering two women who were stabbed to death in neighbouring homes.

Police found a 43-year-old woman with fatal stab wounds after being called to a house in the suburb of Moseley, in Birmingham, on Monday.

A second woman, aged 52, was found with serious knife injuries in the house next door and died despite the efforts of paramedics, West Midlands police said.

Detectives said the suspect and victims were known to each other.

A police cordon was in place on Belle Walk as forensics officers examined the scene on Monday afternoon.

DI Nick Barnes, from the homicide team at West Midlands police, said: “The tragic events of this morning appear to be domestic related. We’ve closed the area while forensic examinations are carried out and we’ve got specially trained officers supporting the families at this devastating time.

“Two women have lost their lives and we’re doing all we can to understand the circumstances of this tragedy.”

One nearby resident said they saw a visibly distressed woman being helped into a vehicle by police shortly after 3pm – four hours after officers arrived at the scene.

“It was very sad to see and I continued home,” the resident told the Birmingham Mail. “This is very shocking as I use that road on my commute to work and normally would never hear a pin drop, usually very quiet.”

West Midlands ambulance service said two ambulances, a paramedic officer, a critical care car with an advanced paramedic on board and the West Midlands care team medics were sent to the scene.

Police have asked anyone with information about the two deaths to come forward.