Woman shot dead at pub on Valentine's Day as police launch village manhunt

A woman in her 40s has died after being shot at a pub in Kent.

Kent Police said that the woman had been in the Three Horseshoes pub in the village of Knockholt on the evening of Valentine's Day (14 February) when the shooting was carried out.

Police have said their suspect is a man who knew the victim, and the investigation found a vehicle containing a gun on the Queen Elizabeth II bridge which spans the River Thames.

Officers were called to the pub at 7.02pm, as was the South East Coast Ambulance Service with the woman declared dead at the scene.

They said: "Officers attended the scene along with South East Coast Ambulance Service where a woman in her 40s had suffered injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.

Forensics teams have been checking the pub, a male suspect is said to have fled the scene where the woman was shot dead (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)

“She was declared deceased at the scene and a murder investigation is under way. Her next of kin has been informed.

“As part of inquiries, officers attended the Dartford Crossing where a vehicle linked to the incident was recovered, alongside a firearm.

“Inquiries are ongoing to identify and locate all persons potentially involved.”

Ray Picot, a local parish councillor, said he'd heard 'a couple of loud bangs' at around 7pm and said that the other people in the pub had been left in 'terrible shock' by the shooting.

He told Kent Online: "It’s a shock. We’ve never had anything like this. It’s a very busy pub – a great pub. It never has any trouble and is very well managed.

“I understand those inside the pub were ushered back to their houses by police as they were all in terrible shock. It sounded awful.”

Police have cordoned off the Three Horseshoes pub where the shooting took place (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)

Fellow councillor, Steve Maines, told the BBC he'd heard a 'commotion' outside the pub and was later told that someone had been shot.

Maines explained that he was 'having our Valentine’s Day meal when all of a sudden we heard this huge commotion outside in the car park' before being told that he'd have to leave because of the shooting.

Meanwhile, local man Chris Warner said it was 'just so shocking that something like this could happen here' as the village was a 'quiet area' and 'everybody knows everyone'.

Another Knockholt resident said she heard 'around three to four bangs outside and loud shouting from a woman’s voice'.

On social media the Three Horseshoes pub announced that it would be closed for the day (15 February) and said they hoped to be able to open again tomorrow 'as usual'.