Police insist there is no evidence trans girl Brianna Ghey, 16, was victim of a hate crime after she was stabbed to death in park – as LGBT community say they are ‘terrified …

Police say there is no evidence transgender girl Brianna Ghey, 16, who was stabbed to death in a Warrington park, was the victim of a hate crime.

Officers have arrested a local boy and girl, both 15, on suspicion of murder, with both in custody assisting police with their investigation.

Detectives have urged calm amid fears among the LGBT community that the attack was motivated by transphobia. 

One person had commented: ‘Honestly terrified of getting murdered for simply daring to be who I am.’

Earlier Brianna’s family said in a heartfelt tribute: ‘Brianna was a much-loved daughter, granddaughter and baby sister.

‘She was a larger-than-life character who would leave a lasting impression on all that met her. Brianna was beautiful, witty and hilarious. Brianna was strong, fearless and one of a kind.

‘The loss of her young life has left a massive hole in our family, and we know that the teachers and her friends who were involved in her life will feel the same.

‘We would like to thank everyone for their kind words and support during this extremely difficult time.

In one TikTok video it looked like Brianna was in the same park where the attack happened

A police forensics team walk into Culcheth Linear Park where Brianna Ghey was murdered

In another post she wears glasses and is seen talking to the camera on social media

‘We would like to thank the police for their support, and witnesses for helping with the investigation.

‘The continuation of respect for privacy is greatly appreciated.’

Brianna lived with her mother Esther in a modern terraced house in Warrington.

Her mother, who is thought to separated from her father, is believed to work in food technology which she studied at university.

Brianna’s final TikTok videos show what appears to be a typical teenager enjoying social media, with one post apparently filmed in the same park where the attack took place.  

In an earlier video, Brianna can be seen talking to the camera wearing a pair of glasses. 

Forensics officers meticulously comb a woodland area at Linear Park in Culcheth, Warrington, today

Forensic crew investigating the murder were seen at the scene today as the probe continues

Police at the scene in Culcheth Linear Park in Warrington, Cheshire, following the death of Brianna Ghey, 16, who was found by members of the public

Brianna Ghey from Birchwood, Cheshire, was found with multiple stab wounds in the park

Floral tributes are left at the scene following the death of the 16-year-old in Warrington last week

An entrance to the park is taped off as police continue probe Ms Ghey’s death inside a large cordon

The girl was found with serious injuries and was pronounced dead following a police report at 3.13pm at Culcheth Linear Park in Warrington, Cheshire

Police say she was the victim of a ‘targeted attack’ in the beauty spot on the site of an old railway.

Police and paramedics were called to Linear Park in Culcheth, an affluent village near Warrington, Cheshire, on Saturday afternoon following the discovery of the teenager’s body on a path.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Brianna’s friends paid tribute to the teenager on social media. ‘Rest in peace, you deserved the world, this is so devastating for everyone,’ one mourner wrote on Instagram. 

‘This is heartbreaking,’ echoed another. 

In one tribute, Brianna – who was born male but is believed to have been living as a female for a number of months – was hailed for her ‘strength, beauty and transparency’.

‘Rest in peace darling,’ the tribute said. ‘Forever a beauty and forever in our hearts, nothing will ever change that.

‘I’m just proud of you for consistently keeping on, you’re so strong, thank you for being with us and thank you for being so transparent with us…’

A gymnastics coach who worked with Brianna when she was younger told the Liverpool Echo: ‘She used to come into the gym in the school and do gymnastics with us, she was a lovely kid.’

Brianna was found dead by members of the public on Saturday afternoon. 

Police have said it is ‘too early to say’ what she was doing in the area at the time, but described her murder as ‘targeted attack’ on a ‘busy day’ at the park. 

‘A number of inquiries in relation to this incident are under way and we are doing all that we can to establish the exact circumstances of what has happened,’ Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Evans said yesterday evening.

‘At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that the circumstances surrounding Brianna’s death are hate related.

‘Patrols have been stepped up in the local area and officers will remain in the Culcheth area to provide reassurance and address any concerns that residents may have.’

A floral tribute is placed at the entrance to Culcheth Linear Park yesterday in remembrance of Brianna Ghey who was stabbed to death on Saturday

Emma Fortune said Brianna and her mother had been customers at the opticians where she works since she joined the business seven years ago.

Miss Fortune said: ‘I last saw them last year. Brianna looked gorgeous with her hair down and her make up.

‘Her little face lit up when I told her how beautiful she looked. When I found out she’d been killed it was awful. I was so upset. Her mum will be devastated.’

She added that the teenager was a ‘very quiet’ person, probably ‘because of what she was going through’, but had never mentioned being bullied.

A playlist apparently posted to YouTube by the teenager was entitled ‘Songs that heal my traumas’.

A spokesman for Cheshire Constabulary said there was no evidence that the murder was a hate crime, but added that detectives were keeping an ‘open mind’ about whether Brianna’s gender orientation was relevant to their inquiries.

Villagers said the force flooded the area with patrol cars following the discovery of Brianna’s body, with a police helicopter also deployed. A number of police vehicles remained at the park yesterday as forensic work continued.

Speaking at the cordon, Detective Chief Superintendent said his officers ‘would continue to follow other lines of inquiry that appear’, adding that it was unclear whether the teenager knew her attacker, or attackers. Detectives have not recovered a murder weapon.

Forensic examiners are continuing to explore the park

A crime scene is in place as detectives work to establish the circumstances surrounding her death

Police officers are pictured at the scene in Culcheth Linear Park in Warrington, Cheshire, on Saturday after Brianna Ghey was found stabbed to death in the park

In an earlier statement released through Cheshire Constabulary, DCS Evans said officers were keen to speak to a couple wearing long clothing seen very close to the location of the ‘truly awful attack’.

DCS Evans said the white man and woman were ‘in their late teens/early twenties, both with dark curly hair’.

He added: ‘The man was wearing a longish dark hooded coat and the woman had a distinctive red or purple black checked blanket-style coat and a long flowing skirt, dress or trousers.

‘We are also keen to speak to anyone who was in the park from around 1.30pm until 4.00pm (on Saturday) or anyone who may have seen Brianna in the hours leading up to her death.

‘We would ask people and businesses within the local community to check any CCTV or dashcam footage for anything that may aid our investigation.’

During initial searches of the village on Saturday, officers asked locals if they had seen a man wearing a green coat.

One woman, who did not wish to be named, said she’d heard that officers were ‘looking for a man’ before news of the death had emerged.

She said: ‘People were saying that police were searching for a man.

‘Apparently, officers were asking people in the park yesterday if they’d seen a man in a green jacket.

‘They were also telling them to get out of the park. I heard later that a girl had been stabbed.’

Detective Chief Supt Mike Evans said: ‘This is a truly awful attack on a 16-year-old girl, who has sadly lost her very short life. We are appealing for any information that will help us find who has done this to Brianna’

Officers ‘would continue to follow other lines of inquiry that appear’. Police said it was unclear whether the teenager knew her attacker or attackers. Detectives have not recovered a murder weapon

Villagers said the force flooded the area with patrol cars following the discovery of Brianna’s body, with a police helicopter also deployed. A number of police vehicles remained at the park yesterday as forensic work continued

Another villager said: ‘The park is very popular and is used by dog-walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

‘It’s an old railway track with one main path that branches off further down.

‘Kids sometimes go down of a night with bottles of alcohol. But this is a quiet area normally, so it’s a bit of a shock this has happened.’

When asked about the man in a green jacket, DCS Evans said the force remained interested in speaking to anyone who may have been in the area at the time and may have information to assist their investigation.

Brianna is believed to have lived with her mother, a food technologist, in nearby Birchwood. There was no answer at the address last night.

A post-mortem examination was taking place yesterday to confirm a cause of death, but police said Brianna had suffered multiple stab wounds.

Speaking on Saturday evening, Detective Chief Inspector Adam Waller said that there was ‘not believed to be a wider threat to anyone else’.

The Linear Park was created from the disused railway cutting that once carried the Lowton – Manchester branch line of the local railway network.

There are several side-paths feeding off to other parts of the village while a wide, flat area of what was once the station yard is now a picnic area and a popular meeting place for dog walkers.

Anybody with information should contact Cheshire Police by calling 101. Information can also be reported anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800555111.