The woman was found ‘beheaded’ in the back garden of a north London this afternoon has been confirmed as 82-year-old Palmira Silva.
The elderly victim was found at an address on Nightingale Road, Edmonton, just after 1.00pm.
Scotland Yard confirmed that they were called out to the address after reports of a stabbing and that a man is his mid twenties is now in custody.
A spokesperson said: “On arrival officers discovered a female collapsed in a garden area. A man has been detained and remains in custody.
“At this very early stage we are not in a position to give further details.”
Edmonton Police helped evacuate several houses, rescuing two young children, following the news of a man believed to be armed with a machete had ran through a number of back gardens.
The Independent reports that Scotland Yard also said there was no suggestion of a terrorist attack, after the incident sparked immediate fears of copycat or revenge killings for the beheadings of American journalists by Isis.
