POLICE have launched a murder hunt after a woman was strangled to death in front of her three young children.Emergency services discovered the body of Lisa Sullivan after one of her children raised the alert by running to the caravan site shop and telling staff she could not wake up her mummy.

POLICE have launched a murder hunt after a woman was strangled to death in front of her three young children.

Emergency services discovered the body of Lisa Sullivan after one of her children raised the alert by running to the caravan site shop and telling staff she could not wake up her mummy.

The tragedy happened at Martello Caravan Park, in Kirby Road, Walton-on-the-Naze, on Wednesday morning. Paramedics and police were called to the site just before midday.

Yesterday Ms Sullivan's caravan, number 39, at the base of the historic Martello tower, was sealed off while forensic officers continued their investigations.

A post mortem examination revealed the 41-year-old mother-of-three of Scott Avenue, Stanstead Abbotts, Hertfordshire, died as a result of strangulation.

A park resident, who did not want to be named, said the woman had been living in the caravan for about five weeks.

“She was a good-looking girl. Her youngest little girl was about two, then she had a boy aged five or six and then another girl.”

Describing the dreadful events of Wednesday morning, she said: “We heard all this screaming. All of a sudden it cut out. Then we heard banging, banging.”

“One of the kids was at the window. My neighbour thought she was waving, but she was calling. We didn't know what was going on.

“Apparently one of the kids ran to the shop. She said she couldn't wake her mummy. They went back to the caravan. I've never seen anything like it.”

The woman said a man sped off from the caravan park in a car at about 9.40am.

She added: “We heard screams the night before. I'm only sorry we didn't go out.”

Police warned residents at the caravan park to keep their doors and windows locked on Wednesday night.

Ms Sullivan's children are being cared for by relatives.

Late yesterday afternoon Essex Police arrested a man in his 30s in Hertfordshire on suspicion of the murder of Ms Sullivan. The man was being transported to a police station in Essex for questioning.

Essex Police are appealing for anyone with information to contact the Rayleigh special investigation team on 01268 775588.

nA woman was last night being questioned by Clacton police in connection with the attempted murder of a 32-year-old man in St Osyth Road, Clacton.

Police were called to a house in St Osyth Road at about 3.30pm on Wednesday. A man was taken to Colchester General Hospital with stab wounds.