Detectives investigating a shocking triple murder in Colchester have revealed a crime scene could remain in place for at least the next 48 hours as they painstakingly search the flat and car where three bodies were found.
However, the senior police officer leading the case has urged neighbours "not to panic" while they hunt for clues.
Essex Police were called to Wellesley Road on Saturday night and discovered three bodies - two inside a flat and one in a car outside.
A 32-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody.
Det Ch Insp Stephen Jennings, senior investigating officer on the case, has now revealed that a team of 20 to 30 officers - including a mixture of detectives, forensics specialists and scientists - could be there for at least the next 24 to 48 hours while they attempt to piece together what has happened.
Officers have already been door-to-door to homes in the street and have trawled through CCTV footage looking for clues.
DCI Jennings said: "We've had a number of enquiries that have been carried out in and around Wellesley Road, that includes door-to-door enquiries and some CCTV scoping and viewing.
"We've also had a full forensics team in and around Wellesley Road and we are assessing both the vehicle and the flat itself, which is taking some time.
"We will then be leading onto the next couple of days where some expert search teams will look through the scene and try and find as much evidence as we can to help us understand what's taken place and help us prove and disprove the suspects involvement."
He added that: "We may potentially have the area cordoned off for a couple of days so we can carry out our extensive enquiries.
"I do ask and urge people to bear with me whilst we go through that process, but it's important that we do this as thoroughly as we can to try and recover the most amount of evidence."
"It's difficult to say whether the full road will be closed, but there will be some disruption and the community need to be prepared for the road to be closed for the next couple of days.
"I will reassure them that we will open it and be less disruptive to the public as soon as we possibly can."
DCI Jennings said police were first called at 10pm on Saturday over concerns for the welfare of a person.
"Our enquiries then led us on to an address in Wellesley Road in Colchester where sadly we found the bodies of three men, two inside the flat and a third inside the vehicle immediately outside of that flat," he said.
"We do believe this incident is isolated."
He confirmed that although officers are keeping an open mind, they are looking for anyone else at this time.
However he said police would increase patrols in the area to reassure the public.
"There is no need to panic and we do not think this is linked to any other offence or crime type," he said. "It is not believed to be gang or drug-related."
Detectives are appealing for anyone who was in or around the Wellesley Road area between 6pm on Saturday, October 5 and 1am on Sunday, October 6.
Mr Jennings continued: "Please do contact us on 101 or via Crimestoppers if you saw or heard anything that you think is suspicious or could help me and my enquiries."
Read more: Probe in triple murder launched as three men found dead in street
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