Didcot murders: Hunt for Jed Allen continues with more than 100 officers deployed in search operation for suspected killer

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Armed police have been scouring Didcot and its surrounding areas in a massive manhunt involving more than 100 officers, as the hunt for Jed Allen enters its second day.

The bodies of Janet Jordon, 48, her partner Philip Howard, 44, and Jordan’s daughter Derin, aged six, were found at their house on Vicarage Road at 8:20pm on Saturday night.

Police have been searching the area of Oxfordshire, including Oxford University Parks where Allen worked as a groundsman, to speak to the 21-year-old in connection with the murders.

A cousin of Allen has come forward, urging him to give himself up to police. Speaking to The Sun, Tyler Clarke said: “No-one can believe what has happened. The first thing I knew about it was when I saw it on the news. We just want to know why, but only Jed knows what happened.

“If we could send a message to Jed it would be, ‘give yourself up’.”

Allen is described as white and of large build, around 6ft tall, and has a distinctive spider tattoo on his hand. Police do not believe Allen, who is known to the force, poses a wider threat to the public, but they have advised people not to approach him if he is seen.

He appears to be a fan of the X-Men comic book character 'Wolverine,' and has posted pictures online of himself posing with an axe and of his knife collection. He goes by the name "Mr Meat Tank" on Instagram and posts selfies at the gym or at home, and pictures of his favourite comic book and film characters.

Detectives from the Thames Valley Police Major Crime Unit said a number of searches are still being carried out, some of which are which are armed, but stressed this is “purely for the safety of the searching officers”.

Detective superintendent Chris Ward emphasised the need to find Allen as soon as possible. He described the incident as a “tragic and sad event” and gave his condolences to the family.

A former landlady to Ms Jordon and her son has described the mother as “absolutely cracking” and “beautiful,” but claims she was an alcoholic who left Allen “struggling” as a child.

Jane Ilott, 68, who was Ms Jordan’s landlady when Allen was around 12-years-old, said: “I didn’t know Jed as a 6ft man, I know him as a little fella who was really struggling.

“He absolutely loved his mum and she him, but she didn’t know. Drink was Jan’s real love but she did love Jed,” she said. “She shouldn’t have been a mum, she wasn’t a bad woman, she just was an alcoholic.”

Neighbour Sheila Welch, who lives in Vicarage Road, said she did not know the family but that they had always looked “happy,” describing Ms Jordan and Derin as “a lovely mother and little girl”.

Additional reporting by PA