A police force will refer itself to a watchdog over an investigation into the suspected double murder of an 11-year-old boy and seven-year-old girl.
Staffordshire Police confirmed they will “voluntarily” refer themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct due to “recent” contact with the children’s family.
Officers discovered the bodies of the children in a house in Stoke-on-Trent on Sunday afternoon.
A 49-year-old female relative has since been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody.
Police said they were first called to a car wash on Campbell Road just after 2pm following reports of an assault on a man, believed to be the children’s father, by a woman.
The “doting and devoted” father, named locally as Alex, was taken to hospital for treatment of a suspected stab wound to his stomach.
Officers then went to a home on Flax Street, a five minute walk away, to arrest a 49-year-old woman and found the children with “significant injuries” and unresponsive inside.
Despite the efforts of paramedics, both children, who have not been named, died at the scene, police said.
Witnesses on Monday described seeing a woman in a red dressing gown walking to the car wash and having an argument with the victims’ father, a car wash cleaner, before stabbing him.
He has since been released from hospital.
A neighbour, who spoke with the father after he was discharged, said: “He is absolutely devastated that he has lost his two beautiful kids. He is heartbroken.
“He loved those children and did everything for them. It is heartbreaking for the family and their friends and neighbours.
“He had a stab wound to the stomach but is out of hospital now and is safe.”
The neighbour, who knows the family but declined to be named, added: “It has shocked everyone in this street. They seemed such a happy family.
As forensic experts continued to scour the rented terraced home in Flax Street on Monday, where the family are believed to have lived for nearly 10 years, a neighbour living opposite the car wash told how he had seen the woman “walking down the road in her red dressing gown”.
Jack Taft, 25, describing the alleged stabbing, said: “I heard screaming and Alex, who I know from the car wash, was stabbed in the stomach… while he was in the waiting room at the premises.
“My dad saw Alex being stretchered away to hospital. Despite his injuries he was still smiling with the biggest grin on his face and waving to my dad.
“He didn’t know at that time his children were dead. Police told him while he was in hospital. It would crack a man.”
Det Ch Insp Cheryl Hannan said: “Our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the children. I cannot imagine the pain and shock they are feeling.
“We also understand the concern felt locally around this incident and the speculation around what has happened.
“The woman arrested is known to the children. We don’t believe there to be any wider threat to the public at this time.
“Our focus remains on finding out more about what happened yesterday and supporting the family at this deeply distressing and tragic time.”
In an earlier statement, Det Supt Nicki Addison said: “We understand that this incident may cause concern in the local community and further afield
“We know that the woman arrested is related to the people and we don’t believe there is a wider threat to the public at this time.”