Woman and ex-partner killed in house explosion named

Two people killed in a house explosion have been named by police.

Jo Shaw, 35, and her former partner Ryan Kelly, 41, died in the blast at an address on Sterncourt Road in Frenchay, Bristol, at about 06:30 BST on Sunday.

Avon and Somerset Police said officers were called to a domestic-related incident just minutes before the incident and investigators are treating it as "suspicious".

Supt Matt Ebbs said Shaw's death has been officially recorded as a homicide "based on the information known to us at this time".

The force said that it would be making a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to previous police contact with the victim prior to Sunday.

It said the contact related to "other domestic incidents".

Supt Ebbs said: "We know everyone's thoughts and sympathies will be with (Jo's) devastated family. Specially-trained officers are providing them with updates and support.

"We recognise there is significant interest in what happened, but at the centre of it there are many people grieving and we would please ask everyone respects that and gives them the privacy they want."

Police said they received a call from a person inside the property at 06:17 BST reporting a domestic-related incident, stating that a man, whom they knew, had forced entry to the house.

Several double crewed units were dispatched and the caller remained on the line, the force said, and at around 06.30 said the intruder was believed to be in possession of an explosive device.

The explosion occurred at around 06:32, and the first officers arrived on the scene at 06:34, and were joined by the fire and ambulance services shortly afterwards.

Three other people, including the person who made the call to police, were treated for minor injuries following the explosion and did not need to stay in hospital.

Following the incident, an army bomb disposal team and specialist police officers made extensive searches of the area to ensure it was safe.

The cordon was reduced on Sunday night and almost all residents were allowed to return home, police said.

A search of an address in nearby Speedwell, linked to Kelly, did not require any evacuations of surrounding properties in the area.