RUSHMERE St Andrew is a community in shock today following the deaths of three people this weekend. A solitary police car sits outside number 10 Seckford Close today while a large area behind the house remained taped off.

RUSHMERE St Andrew is a community in shock today following the deaths of three people this weekend.

A solitary police car sits outside number 10 Seckford Close today while a large area behind the house remained taped off.

Residents of the quiet cul de sac expressed their sympathies for the family.

Julie Benford, 37, of Seckford Close, said: "It really is a tragic thing to have happened, but we didn't really know the family that well. I have got two young kids and to think that anybody was in a state where they could do something like that is just tragic."

Community leaders also expressed their sympathies and shock at the weekend's events.

Parish council chairman Bob Swain said: "It's a tragic event for any family, but obviously nobody knows what the circumstances surrounding it were. We can only feel for the family and the child that is still alive. It's a huge shock to the whole community. We can only hope that the child has got other family support behind him."

It is believed that the 11-year-old child went to Broke Hall Primary School in Chatsworth Drive. Today one parent said her thoughts were with the remaining child.

The woman, who did not wish to be named, said: "It's just such a sad thing to happen. I only heard about it on the news last night, and I can't believe it. It's just so close to home. I really feel for the other child."

Prayers will also be said today as the parish remembers the family. The Reverend Stephen Lloyd, of St Andrew's Church in Britannia Road, said: "I was appalled to hear of it. It is very tragic and is going to affect a lot of people. I believe they both worked at the hospital so it's going to affect the whole community there as well. I would like to express my sympathy to all their friends and acquaintances at this sad time."

Peter Hilling, 55, a close neighbour of Dr Chiti and Dr Demera, said:

"I got up at 9.30am yesterday and saw the place was full of various officers. At that stage they would not say what had happened and all we knew was that there was a serious crime.

"They were asking if we had heard anything from 9pm to 4.30am but it was a windy and blowy night and we had not heard anything," said Mr Hilling.

Mr Hilling said the family moved into the house last summer and it appeared that several people lived there including a teenage boy and a young boy.

Mr Hilling said he had seen the boy being taught how to cycle:

"The man was a doctor but I do not know where he worked and we didn't know them. They were a very quiet family and the wife sent us a Christmas card out of the blue."