Three people have been found dead in Nottingham in what police described as a “horrific and tragic incident”.

A 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after two people were found dead in the street in Ilkeston Road just after 4am on Tuesday.

A third man was found dead in Magdala Road, Nottinghamshire Police said.

Another three people are in hospital after someone tried to run them over in a van in Milton Street, in what police believe was a connected incident.

Chief Constable Kate Meynell said: “This is a horrific and tragic incident which has claimed the lives of three people.

“We believe these three incidents are all linked and we have a man in custody.

“This investigation is at its early stages and a team of detectives is working to establish exactly what has happened.

“We ask the public to be patient while inquiries continue. At this time, a number of roads in the city will remain closed as this investigation progresses.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak thanked the emergency services for their response to the “shocking incident”, adding: “My thoughts are with those injured, and the family and loved ones of those who have lost their lives.”

Home Secretary Suella Braverman also expressed her shock at the deaths, and said she is receiving regular updates from Nottinghamshire Police.

Unverified footage showed a suspect being arrested outside a convenience store in Bentinck Road, although police would not say whether this was linked to the investigation.

The force has not yet commented on whether the attacks are being treated as terrorism.

Witness Lynn Haggitt told Channel 4 News she saw a van hitting two people at around 5.30am.

“I saw a van pull up at the side of me,” she said. “It was white, all white. There was a police car behind it, coming up slowly, no flashing lights.

“The man in the driver’s seat looked in his mirror and saw the police car behind him.”

She said the white van then drove up to “the corner of the street and went into two people”.

“The lady ended up on the kerb, and then he backed up the white van and he went… speeded up Parliament Street with the police cars following him,” Ms Haggitt added.

The man who was hit suffered a head injury but got to his feet, while the woman was sitting on the kerb, she told the broadcaster.

Road closures in place on Tuesday morning covered a wide area of the city centre, including Ilkeston Road, Milton Street, Maples Street and Woodborough Road, from the junction with Magdala Road into the city, Magdala Road and Maid Marian Way at the junction of Parliament Street.

The tram network was also disrupted with all services suspended on the Nottingham Express Transit (NET) as the police investigation continued.

Local resident Glen Gretton said he was woken up at around 5am on Tuesday morning by the sounds of a series of police cars passing his home.

The 46-year-old delivery driver, who lives in a flat in Mansfield Road in Sherwood, told the PA news agency: “I heard a police car go past. It was driving extremely quickly, followed by another one, another one.

“They just kept coming so I knew something quite major … was happening somewhere around the city centre.”

Both Nottingham Fire and Rescue and East Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed they were also dealing with the aftermath of the attacks.