A 15-year-old girl has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a young mother who was stabbed to death during a disturbance in a residential area popular with families.

Samantha Madgin, 18, from the Wallsend area, near Newcastle, was caught up in the fight in the street at around 11.50pm last night.

Northumbria Police said a murder investigation is under way and a man and woman have also been arrested in connection with the death as well as the 15-year-old.

A man living 100 yards from the scene of the fight said he was a friend of the dead teenager's family, whom he knew in a professional capacity.

He said: “She was a really nice young girl with nice manners and was a pleasure to know. She seemed to be a loving mother and very dedicated.

“I knew her when she was pregnant and that was all she used to talk about. She seemed to be looking forward to being a mum and was overjoyed when she was.

“She was an attractive young girl. I have known the family for many years and this is a tragedy.”

He said the murder was completely out of character for the area which he described as a “quiet corner of Wallsend” which is popular with families. Many of the terraced streets are pedestrianised to the front.

“To have something like this on our doorstep is unreal,” he said. It is not that kind of area, it is a very close-knit community.”

Today friends and relatives began laying flowers near the murder scene which was cordoned off by police as forensic scientists examined the area.

Officers wearing white paper suits and plastic covers on their shoes were examining the murder scene. More than 10 plastic markers on the ground showed evidence of bloodstains on the road surface.

Northumbria Police said that a post-mortem examination is expected to be carried out later today.

Detective Chief Inspector Mick Paterson, leading the murder inquiry, said: “There was clearly some sort of disturbance going on which has led to a young woman losing her life.

“I particularly want to hear from anyone who was in Victoria Avenue, Albert Avenue, Harle Street and the area of Park Road around this time.”

Chief Superintendent Steve Storey, area commander for North Tyneside, added: “I’d like to reassure the local community around Wallsend, and particularly the town centre, that although this is a very serious crime, this is certainly not common for the area.

“Our neighbourhood policing teams will be continuing with their regular duties to maintain levels of reassurance over the coming days.”

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