Police say a man suspected of shooting dead a woman at a Kent village pub on Valentine’s Day may have entered the River Thames.
Kent Police said it was called to a “disturbance” at the Three Horseshoes pub in the quiet parish of Knockholt, near Sevenoaks, just after 7pm on Friday.
A murder investigation and manhunt is now underway after the woman was declared dead shortly after the police arrived. The suspect - a man who was known to the victim - fled the scene.
Follow our live blog on the Kent shooting by clicking here.
A firearm was found alongside a vehicle linked to the shooting at the Dartford Crossing as officers continued to attempt to locate those connected with the killing.
On Saturday evening, the force said the suspect “may have entered the water” after call handlers received reports of a man on the wrong side of the barrier.
Senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector David Higham, said: “Call handlers received reports of a man on the wrong side of the barrier and we are not ruling out the possibility that he may have entered the water.
“We are currently only looking for one suspect and do not believe there to be an ongoing risk to the public.”
It is understood neither the suspect or victim were from Kent but had local connections to the area.
Police have set up a cordon around the crime scene as forensic teams scour the site for leads. A blue car is being investigated with multiple yellow tags placed around it.
Local parish councillor Ray Picot said he heard “a couple of loud bangs” at 7pm. Speaking to Kent Online, he said: “It’s a shock. We’ve never had anything like this. It’s a very busy pub – a great pub. It never has any trouble and is very well managed.
“I understand those inside the pub were ushered back to their houses by police as they were all in terrible shock. It sounded awful.”
Dorothy Wong, a resident in the village, told the BBC: “I heard around three to four bangs outside and loud shouting from a woman’s voice.”
The force added in a statement: “Officers attended the scene along with South East Coast Ambulance Service where a woman in her forties had suffered injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.
“She was declared deceased at the scene and a murder investigation is underway. Her next of kin has been informed.
“As part of inquiries, officers attended the Dartford Crossing where a vehicle linked to the incident was recovered, alongside a firearm.
“Inquiries are ongoing to identify and locate all persons potentially involved.”
The suspect was a man who knew the victim, police said.
The Three Horseshoes pub said in a statement: “Following the official press release of the tragic incident that happened on the premises last night – all of us at the Three Horseshoes want to send our sincere condolences to the victim’s family and friends.
“We also want to send our support to anyone else in the local and surrounding community who have been impacted by this. Please be respectful of everyone involved at this difficult time, thank you.”
The pub announced earlier in the day that it was closed on Saturday and hoped to reopen as usual on Sunday.
