SHOCKED neighbours have described the moment armed police swooped on a quiet street after a Blackburn father was stabbed to death.

Neil Ryan, 46, was found dead at his home in Heys Close following a disturbance in which his wife Debbie also suffered serious stab wounds.

Their son Jordan was arrested two-and-a-half miles away at the home of his grandparents Bill and Jean Ryan in Rolleston Road.

A post mortem examination confirmed Mr Ryan died as a result of a single stab wound to his upper body.

Jordan is now in a secure hospital undergoing a full mental health assessment.

Police were called to Ryan's terraced house in Heys Close by paramedics at 7.50am yesterday.

A helicopter and police dogs were sent to try and find the teenager.

Armed police surrounded the grandparents’ upstairs flat and cordoned off nearby streets around 8.30am.

Neighbour Alan Flanagan, 76, said he was good friends with Bill and Jean.

He said: “I looked through the window and the road was full of police with guns.

“I’m an ex-policeman so I wondered what the hell was going on. I saw them arresting a young guy - they handcuffed him and took him away.”

A 77-year-old woman, who lives in the flat beneath the couple, said police officers ordered her to stay in her home.

The pensioner said: “I heard the helicopter and when I came out there were two armed police officers standing there.

“They said ‘get back in and close the door’, so I did as I was told.”

Officers recovered a knife from the Heys Close address which they believe to be the murder weapon. The address was sealed off and forensic examinations were going on throughout the day.

Mrs Ryan’s injuries were last night described as ‘not life threatening’. She was being treated at Royal Blackburn Hospital.

It is understood Jordan’s younger brother Joshua, 14, is disabled and that up until recently, he had been living at home with his mum and dad as his full-time carers.

Jordan, who is in the TA and studied joinery and carpentry at Blackburn College, helped his dad out at St Paul’s Working Men’s Club in Montague Street, Blackburn.

Det Supt Ian Critchley said: “Obviously we are very early in our inquiries. "This is clearly a tragic case for the family involved. Our thoughts are with them and we are working very closely with them.

“We’ve got an injured female in hospital.

“We believe the 18-year-old man in custody is the son of the male and female at the address.

“We haven’t yet established why this has happened. It is still very early in our inquiries and a post mortem examination will take place this afternoon.

“We are going to speak to a number of people in relation to what’s taken place and in the lead-up to the incident, and to the family about what the background is and try and establish the cause and reason to why this tragedy has taken place “Part of our inquiries is to establish exactly what involvement the police and other agencies have had.”

Elizabeth Meikleham, 47, who lives a few doors down from the family in Heys Close, said she grew up with Neil when he lived with his parents and his brother Michael in the Wensley Road area.

She said: “Neil and Debbie were a lovely, quiet couple.

“He was a nice guy. He stayed at home to look after his other son Joshua because he was disabled. Neil was devoted to him. He absolutely adored his wife and his kids.

“Jordan was quiet. He wasn’t a bad lad. They’d go out together as a family.

“Debbie is a very quiet lady. She works in a care home I think. She was hysterical this morning and she looked like she was in shock.

“This is just unbelievable.”

Elizabeth’s partner Andrew Dullenty, 51, said: “My young son Adam said ‘look at all these police’ about 8am. They were all on the field with dogs.

“A policeman said to me ‘do you know Jordan?’ and they said ‘if you see him, don’t approach him, just ring 999’.”

“Neil was really helpful, a good neighbour who would do anything for you.”

Another neighbour added: “We’ve not heard any rows or any tension. Neil was not the sort of person to put up with that kind of thing.”

Mum-of-three Anne Slater, whose home in Otterburn Road overlooks Heys Close, said her children were friends with Jordan when they were younger.

The 45-year-old said: “We were woken up by the police who told us not to take the children out.

“Jordan used to play with them when they were little.

“They’ve not had much to do with him as he’s grown up as he’s found other friends, but he was a nice lad.”

Ann Curry, 59, of Otterburn Road, said she was shocked by the incident.

She said: “I looked through my curtains and saw them carry the lady down to the ambulance. She was crying and shouting.”

On his Facebook page, Jordan says he is single and lists his interests as playing on the XBox and smoking shisha.

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