John Hunt: 'The devastation that we are experiencing cannot be put into words'

John Hunt and his daughter, Amy, have spoken for the first time since three members of their family were killed in a crossbow attack on Tuesday, saying their “devastation cannot be put into words”.

Carol Hunt, the wife of BBC commentator John Hunt, and their daughters, Hannah and Louise, died after being attacked in their home in Bushey, Hertfordshire.

In a statement released on Saturday, John and Amy Hunt said: “The devastation that we are experiencing cannot be put into words. We would like to thank people for their kind messages and for the support we have received in recent days. These have provided great comfort to us for which we are very grateful.

“As you can imagine, this is an extremely difficult time for us, and we need time and space to come to terms with what has happened and start the grieving process. While this is happening, we would ask that our privacy and that of our wider family and relations be respected at this time. Thank you.”

• Three women murdered in crossbow attack are family of BBC commentator John Hunt 
• 'Our love and thoughts are with him' - John Hunt's colleagues offer heartfelt support to popular commentator 
• Richard Hoiles: 'In the helter-skelter of modern-day life, it's quite easy to lose track of the things we hold dear but John never has' 
• At a sombre Newmarket, an outpouring of support and love for one of the racing community 
• Police confirm suspect has been arrested in relation to triple murder of John Hunt's family 

Following a manhunt, Kyle Clifford, 26, was detained by police in a cemetery in Enfield and taken to hospital with serious injuries. Clifford remains in hospital in London and was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of murder.

The BBC reported on Thursday that a crossbow had been recovered as part of the investigation and that Clifford, who served briefly in the British Army, was a former boyfriend of Louise.

John Hunt has been the lead racing commentator on BBC 5 Live for 20 years as well as being part of the broadcaster’s team at the Olympics, where he specialises in swimming, and the winter Olympics. Additionally, Hunt works as a presenter for Sky Sports Racing and as a commentator for French racing broadcaster Equidia.

Black armbands were worn by jockeys riding at Kempton on Wednesday evening after news of the killings first emerged earlier in the day, while they were also worn by riders at Newmarket on Thursday when a minute’s silence was held in solidarity to Hunt and his family.

Members of the media and jockeys observe a minute's silence at Newmarket on ThursdayCredit: Edward Whitaker

Before racing being shown on ITV Racing on Thursday, Hunt’s friend and colleague Richard Hoiles, ITV’s main commentator, spoke of Hunt’s dedication to his family.

He said: “In the helter-skelter of modern-day life, it's quite easy to lose track of the things we hold dear but John never has. I know I hugged my kids tighter last night on leaving for here, knowing that that simple pleasure had been cruelly snatched away from one of mine and many in the press room's greatest friends.”

A memorial service for the three women was held in Bushey on Thursday, with Lea Holloway, a friend of Carol Hunt, telling reporters that “she was a lovely, lovely person”.

Alex Klein, who was in a relationship with Hannah Hunt, said in a social media post that she was “the brightest light in my life”, while Rohit Mitra, a friend of Louise Hunt, told Sky News that she was "one of the loveliest girls I knew".