Woman, 35, died in explosion after ex-partner 'forced entry' into her home

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A woman and her ex-partner died in a blast after he forced his way into the house "in possession of an explosive device", police have said.

Jo Shaw, 35, and Ryan Kelly, 41, died in the explosion in Bristol on Sunday, with police treating Shaw's death as a homicide.

Three other people, including a child, were treated for minor injuries following the explosion and did not need to stay in hospital.

Supt Matt Ebbs, from Avon and Somerset Police, said Shaw's death had been recorded as a homicide "based on the information known to us at this time". The force has referred itself to the police watchdog over the incident.

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The mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct is due to previous police contact with the victim prior to Sunday.

Avon and Somerset Police said the contact related to "other domestic incidents".

Supt Ebbs said specially-trained officers are providing Shaw's family with updates and support.

"We know everyone's thoughts and sympathies will be with her devastated family," he added.

"We recognise there is significant interest in what happened, but at the centre of it there are many people grieving and we would please ask everyone respects that and gives them the privacy they want."

Police said they first received a call from a person inside the property, in Sterncourt Road in Frenchay, reporting a domestic-related incident at 06:17 BST. The caller said a man, whom they knew, had forced entry to the house.

At around 06.30, the caller said the intruder was believed to be in possession of an explosive device.

The explosion occurred at about 06:32. The first officers arrived on the scene at 06:34 and were joined by the fire and ambulance services shortly afterwards.

Following the incident, an army bomb disposal team and specialist police officers made extensive searches of the area to ensure it was safe.

A police cordon was reduced on Sunday night and almost all residents were allowed to return home.

A search of an address in nearby Speedwell, linked to Kelly, did not require any evacuations of surrounding properties in the area.

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Supt Ebbs said police activity was likely to continue at the scene of the explosion for several more days, but said there was not believed to be any risk to the wider public.

He emphasised the incident is not being treated as terrorism-related, adding: "We believe the cause of the explosion to be deliberate.

"Analysis work of the explosive device has not yet been completed."

Supt Ebbs said it would ultimately be for a coroner to determine the cause of death.

He thanked all emergency services involved in the response, as well as volunteers who supported the evacuation process.

"This remains a challenging and complex enquiry, and we are ensuring our officers and staff have access to any support they need," Supt Ebbs said.

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