A WOMAN, 24, was today being held in police custody on suspicion of committing a double murder after two girls, aged one and three, were stabbed to death in Bradford.

Paramedics who responded to a report of an injured child at an address in Mint Street, Undercliffe, contacted police at 11.28am yesterday after discovering the critically wounded girls.

Despite their desperate efforts to save the children, they were both pronounced dead a short time later.

A 24-year-old woman, arrested at the property, was being held on suspicion of murder, said West Yorkshire Police.

Today, specially trained police officers are expected to speak to the children's father and post-mortem examinations are due to be done.

It is understood the children had moved to Bradford only a matter of days before.

No-one else was being sought in connection with the investigation last night.

Bunches of flowers, including pink roses, were placed outside the police cordon as people in the community learned of the tragedy.

A group of women and children, who live on the road nearby, wept as they lay their flowers.

One message attached to one floral tribute read: "RIP little angels - gone far too soon."

Another said poignantly: "You are in safe hands in heaven now with the angels."

Kathleen Muller, 67, said: "We've got kids ourselves and we only live on that street. It's awful. We've left the flowers for the kiddies. She must have been in a state."

Ms Muller's daughter, Joanne Shoesmith, 45, said the area was usually quiet.

Many neighbours said they would be afraid to let their children play out in the street following the girls' deaths.

Joanne Cannar, 27, who has two children aged three and seven, said: "I'll probably be more wary now. It's so close to home. Everyone on the street keeps themselves to themselves. It's normally quiet, it's normally a nice area."

Ms Cannar said she did not know the woman or children involved but had sometimes heard noise from the building where the stabbings took place.

"Kids scream from the windows but you just think it's kids having tantrums and things like that," she said.

"I was picking my youngest up from nursery this morning and I've seen an ambulance and an ambulance car but I didn't know why."

John Adeleye, who also lives on the street, said: "The police arrived and paramedics and ambulance came. They tried to save the kids but eventually they passed away."

He added: "This environment is usually a very peaceful place. We saw children from the building playing around and having fun. We're very shocked."

At lunchtime yesterday, a police van, police car, and two unmarked vehicles could be seen parked at the end of the street, including a paramedic fast response vehicle near the property where the children were stabbed.

Shortly before 1.30pm, three minibuses arrived at the scene and blocked off access to the car park, they left still empty later.

A second emergency ambulance vehicle also arrived at the scene at 1.40pm but also left a few minutes later.

A police spokesman said inquiries were at an early stage but the killings were being treated as an isolated matter and police are not looking for anyone else at this time.

Post-mortems examinations will be carried out and officers were speaking with family members to establish the circumstances of what appears to be a very tragic case, said the spokesman.

Michael Jameson, strategic director of children's services at Bradford Council, said: "This is a very tragic and shocking incident.

"Our thoughts are with the family of the children, who only arrived in Bradford very recently from a neighbouring area. We are doing all we can to assist the police with their inquiries and support those affected."

News of the tragedy was also greeted with shock by councillors in the Bowling and Barkerend ward where the tragedy happened.

Councillor Imran Khan (Lab) said it was "a very sad and very unfortunate incident".

He added: "It's too early to know exactly what's happened. I can't get my head round it. "I'm lost for words that something as dreadful as this has happened here and these two children have lost their lives."

And fellow Labour ward councillor Hassan Khan said he too was shocked: "My sorrow and sympathy goes out to everyone involved.

"We don't know what's happened. We haven't been given much information so far but I am shocked. Children should be kept safe and secure, that is their right to be protected from harm. Investigations will in time reveal what went on and there may be lessons to be learned."

Councillor Ralph Berry, executive member for health and social care at Bradford Council, said: "We're just shocked and devastated. For two young children to lose their lives in such circumstances, it is an unbelievable tragedy and loss. Our thoughts are with the family, and those working to support them, and there is little more to say until the full circumstances become known.

"As a parent, I can't begin to think of the sheer tragedy here."

And Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, leader of the LiberaLl Democrats group, urged people to help police with their investigations.

"It is a real tragedy. We need to support friends, families and neighbours and people have to help the police get on with their job to find out what happened," she said.

Councillor Mike Gibbons, the Conservative group spokesman for children's social care, said: "An event such as this is always tragic when the lives of two young children who had expected a future are taken. Obviously investigations are ongoing and we will have to await their findings."

One resident of neighbouring Hatfield Street, said: "I've lived here for years and I've never seen anything like this. "I don't think people can believe what has happened. It's very, very sad."

Another, who lives in nearby Lowther Street, said: "I heard the news that it was in Undercliffe so I came back and saw all the commotion.

"It's normally a really quiet street. Anything to do with kids is terrible, you just don't know the circumstances of what has happened."

Another resident, who said she had just moved into Hatfield Street, said: "I'm gobsmacked. You hear about crime and shootings in other parts of Bradford, but not here as it's really quiet. I've got two children myself and it's very upsetting. Everyone is just shocked."

A woman who lives on Mint Street said: "I went out this morning but didn't hear anything. Then when I got home I started getting calls about two children being stabbed and asking if we were all right.

"You see people walking children to and from school, but that's about it. It's horrible, I've got grandchildren of my own and you can't imagine it. You don't expect anything like that to happen here. You just don't know what state people can get in. It's shocking really."

And a woman who lives on Roger Court said: "Nothing like this has ever happened here, I'm just speechless. It's absolutely horrifying. You don't ever imagine something like this could happen in your neighbourhood. It's just horrible, really sad."