A murder investigation is under way after a woman subjected to a "horrific assault" in the early hours of yesterday morning died in hospital.

At 2.44am on Sunday - June 26 - police were called by the London Ambulance Service to a woman with serious head injuries found in Cranbrook Road.

Officers attended along with ambulance colleagues.

The victim was taken to hospital where she tragically died later on Sunday morning.

A crime scene remains in place; no arrests have been made as of the time of writing.

The 35-year-old victim was walking along Cranbrook Road in the direction of Gants Hill Station when she was attacked.

Chief superintendent Stuart Bell, who leads the Met’s East Area BCU, said: “Our investigation remains in the critical early stages and is now being led by homicide detectives from specialist crime.

“The woman had been subjected to a horrific assault and sadly passed away as a result of her injuries.

“Urgent enquiries have been under way since the very early hours of Sunday morning to identify the woman.

"At this time formal identification is yet to take place but the woman's family have been informed and are receiving support from specially trained officers.

“Teams of dedicated officers are working at pace to establish what happened and identify the person responsible."

Steps being taken include a full forensic examination of the scene and surrounding areas, house to house enquiries and acquiring all available CCTV.

Explaining that there will be a significant police presence in the coming days, the chief superintendent added: “I understand that for women, particularly locally, this is an incredibly distressing incident, and I urge you to be alert but not alarmed.”

Lead investigator Det Ch Insp Mark Rogers, of the Met’s specialist crime north command, said: “It is vital that my officers speak with every possible witness and everyone with information that may assist the investigation.

"We are appealing for anyone who was in the Cranbrook Road area of Ilford between 2.00am and 3.00am on Sunday morning to get in touch, including anyone who drove through the area and may have dashcam footage.

"We also want to hear from anyone who saw anything suspicious in the wider Ilford area overnight.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the major incident room on 0208 345 3715.

To remain 100 percent anonymous, you can visit the Crimestoppers website or call 0800 555 111.