A TEENAGER has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the killing of a former Southend Archdeacon's two daughters.

The 18-year-old was arrested at an address in south London on suspicion of murdering Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman in Wembley.

He was taken into custody where he remains.

The women's mother Mina Smallman served as Archdeacon in Southend from 2013 to 2016.

Det Chief Insp Simon Harding, of the Metropolitan Police, said: “This investigation into the awful death of two sisters is of course a priority for the MPS and my officers have been working around the clock to identify the person responsible.

"Given the significance of this development, we visited the family in person today to inform them of the arrest. Our thoughts remain with them at this very difficult time.

"A team of forensic officers have been a constant presence at the park over the last few weeks carrying out meticulous fingertip searches at what is a vast and complex crime scene.

"Whilst that work has now concluded, smaller searches in outer areas of the park will continue.

"To date officers have recovered more than 1,000 exhibits – including property belonging to both Nicole and Bibaa, collected hours of CCTV and visited hundreds of homes and businesses. And those enquiries remain ongoing.

"I would continue to appeal to the public to come forward with any information they feel may be relevant to our investigation."

Bibaa, 46, and Nicole, 27, were stabbed to death in the early hours of June 6 in Fryent Park, off Slough Lane, where they had spent the evening celebrating Bibaa’s 46th birthday.

Police were called to the park the following day to a report of two women found unresponsive.

Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended the scene and they were pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination conducted on Tuesday, 9 June gave the cause of death for both women as stab wounds.

Mina Smallman said her grief "had been taken to another place" after two police officers were arrested for allegedly sharing non-official photographs of the crime scene with members of the public.

Nicole and Bibaa were in a group of people who congregated in the park from around 19:40hrs on Friday, 5 June to celebrate Bibaa’s birthday.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call the incident room on 020 8721 4205, via 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting CAD 3160/7Jun, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org.