Heartbroken family of 'murdered' uni lecturer speak out after horror discovery

University of Plymouth lecturer Claire Chick, 48, was recovered earnestly injured successful Plymouth this week and aboriginal died successful hospital, portion investigating constabulary aboriginal made an arrest

The heartbroken household of a “beautiful and lively” grandma and fashionable assemblage lecturer killed this week person paid tribute to her - and promised to “make her proud”.

Claire Chick, 48, was recovered earnestly injured successful a Plymouth thoroughfare connected Wednesday, and died successful hospital. A antheral was aboriginal arrested astir 20 miles distant successful the Liskeard country of Cornwall.

Ms Chick worked arsenic a lecturer astatine the University of Plymouth and was antecedently known arsenic Claire Butler. Her household said successful a statement: “We are perfectly devastated and breached astatine the nonaccomplishment of our beauteous caring parent Claire Chick.

"She was the astir beautiful, lively psyche and was determination for everyone. Everyone who knew our mum had truthful galore affirmative words to accidental astir her. She was the beingness and psyche of immoderate spot wherever she was.

"She loved to creation and sing, adjacent though she was beauteous atrocious astatine it; she had nary shame successful doing it successful beforehand of immoderate audience. We volition ne'er get implicit this arsenic a family, she was our glue and our go-to. We won't ever get the justness our mum deserves for this, due to the fact that nary magnitude of justness volition bring her back.

"We privation to convey everyone for their benignant words, and we invitation anyone who knew her to stock their memories of her. "We besides would similar to punctual the nationalist she leaves down 5 beauteous grandchildren who each notation to her arsenic 'a favourite grandma'.

"We inquire you to respect their privacy, and everyone remains respectful to them. She whitethorn beryllium gone but her tone volition ever stay alive. We emotion you mum, and we committedness to marque you proud."

Video footage connected societal media appeared to amusement galore constabulary cars and ambulances parked successful West Hoe Road connected Wednesday evening, adjacent to a station bureau and the West Hoe pub. Several streets successful the West Hoe country were cordoned disconnected and determination was a dense constabulary beingness passim the day.

Vice-chancellor Professor Richard Davies said: "We person been shocked and saddened by the decease of a much-loved subordinate of our assemblage community. Having spoken with Claire's colleagues, I cognize that her publication to Plymouth was important and profoundly felt - she was a respected nurse, lecturer, and idiosyncratic tutor, ensuring students were supported academically and pastorally.

"As subordinate caput of schoolhouse for planetary successful our schoolhouse of nursing and midwifery, she was intimately progressive successful processing nursing programmes, students and academics successful Europe, Africa and Asia. As a colleague, Claire's humour and warmth volition beryllium dearly missed by world and enactment staff.

"Pastoral enactment is successful spot for unit and students who knew Claire and person been affected by this tragic news, and further events are being organised to retrieve her. In the meantime, our thoughts are with Claire's household and friends astatine this impossibly hard time."

Devon and Cornwall Police person referred the incidental to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to the fact that of "previous interaction with the victim". Detective Inspector Rob Smith, who is starring the investigation, added: "We proceed to enactment Claire's household astatine what is an highly atrocious clip for them.

"I would inquire for their privateness to beryllium respected and to let them the abstraction to grieve. While we proceed with our inquiries into the incident, I would impulse the nationalist not to speculate but to interaction america if they person immoderate applicable accusation which has not yet been shared with us.

"Once again, we would similar to convey the section assemblage for their enactment passim this incident. This has been an incredibly pugnacious and understandably concerning clip for the city. A 53-year-old antheral from Plymouth remains successful custody having been arrested connected suspicion of murder."

An IOPC spokesperson said: "We recognize Devon and Cornwall Police are readying to marque a referral successful narration to this. When we person it we volition transportation retired an appraisal to determine what further enactment is required by us."