Homeless man, 61, is charged with murder of housing officer, 47, found stabbed in crashed car as she tried to drive to hospital

A homeless man has been charged with the murder of a housing officer who was stabbed at a retirement village before crashing her car as she fled the scene for hospital.

Eleanor Barnfield, 47, was severely injured after being attacked at work when she got into her car in Bridgend, South Wales, on Monday.

Clifford Foster, 61, was on Thursday charged with murder following the incident at the Ger-Y-Nant sheltered accommodation, run by Valleys to Coast housing association. 

It is alleged the out-of-work plasterer was inside a flat at the complex when Ms Barnfield told him he shouldn't have been at the property - and was subsequently stabbed.

After being attacked, Ms Barnfield only managed to drive a short distance before collapsing at the wheel and crashing into a wall. 

Police were alerted to a road traffic collision at 12.43pm and two ambulances and an air ambulance rushed to the scene.

It was there that emergency services discovered 'puncture' wounds which were not associated with the crash. 

Ms Barnfield, a mother of two, was taken to hospital but was later confirmed to have died. 

Clifford Foster, 61, of no fixed address, has been charged with the murder of Eleanor Barnfield

Ms Barnfield, 47, was severely injured after being attacked at work when she got into her car in Bridgend, South Wales, on Monday - she later died in hospital

Emergency services are pictured at the scene of the crash in South Wales. The incident reportedly left locals 'shaken'

Her alleged attacker barricaded himself in a room at the complex, prompting an armed police response and all residents to be evacuated. 

A man was later seen being taken away from the scene in the back of a police van after being escorted to the vehicle by at least four uniformed officers.

Other residents have since been able to return to the retirement village, which has 13 social housing flats for people over the age of 60.

Father-of-one Foster is said to have been staying at a nearby 'halfway house' run by homeless charity The Wallich.

Paying tribute this week, Ms Barnfield's family described the mother and grandmother last night as the 'kindest, most loving, bravest person in the world'.

They added: 'She meant everything to us and will be forever loved and missed deeply by her devoted family and friends. She was our rock.'

South Wales Police said: 'A man has been charged in connection with a murder investigation in Bridgend.

'Clifford Foster, aged 61, of Bridgend, has been charged with murder in connection with the death of 47-year-old Eleanor Barnfield, of Bridgend.

'He is due to appear at Newport Magistrates Court tomorrow.'

Senior Investigating Officer Claire Lamerton said: 'My thoughts remain with Eleanor's loved ones at such a devastating time, and they continue to be supported by specialist officers.

'This is not being investigated as a domestic incident, and I encourage the public to not speculate about the circumstances as court proceedings are now active.'

This afternoon, the Welsh Ambulance Service responded to claims Ms Barnfield had been trying to drive herself to hospital after phoning 999 herself.

The scene outside the Ger-y-Nant retirement home where Ms Barnfield was badly injured at work 

Locals said there was a large police presence, including armed officers and a SWAT team. Police described the incident as 'deeply distressing'

A police van believed to contain the suspect left the scene of the alleged stabbing after midnight on Tuesday 

The trust said it had no record of any contact from a number belonging to her. 

'Following preliminary investigations by the Welsh Ambulance Service, the Trust has been unable to identify any calls from Eleanor Barnfield's phone numbers,' a spokesman said.

'Enquiries are ongoing to establish if any calls were received by other means.'

It previously said: 'The Welsh Ambulance Service were called on Monday at approximately 12.44pm, to reports of a road traffic collision on Coity Road, Bridgend. 

'A Cymru High Acuity Response Unit arrived on scene seven minutes after the initial call at 12.51pm, with two emergency ambulances arriving to provide additional support at 13.07pm and 13.13pm.

'Advanced critical care support was delivered by the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service who arrived in a Wales Air Ambulance charity helicopter.

'The patient was conveyed by road to hospital.

'We are aware that contradictory and misleading rumours regarding a delayed ambulance response have been circulating on social media.

'These are factually untrue and we would encourage members of the public not to speculate.'

Valleys to Coast said: 'We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident in Bridgend on October 19 and can confirm that a member of our team was involved.

'Eleanor was a much-valued member of the Valleys to Coast team, and her loss has been deeply felt by everyone who knew and worked alongside her.

'She made an important contribution to our organisation and to the communities we serve, and she will be remembered with great warmth and affection by her colleagues.

'Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Eleanor's family and friends at this unimaginably difficult time. We are doing everything we can to support those affected by her loss.'

Floral tributes were left alongside the crumbled brick wall on Coity Road that was covered in an orange plastic meshing.

One tribute read: 'My beautiful friend there are no words to describe how broken I am. You were my rock. You have kept me going through life. I will be forever grateful.

'I will miss you forever. My life will never be the same without you, my heart breaks for your friends and family, your memory will always be kept alive.'

Another read: 'Deeply saddened of your loss. Our thoughts are with you and your family.'

Neighbour Sue Thomas, who lives opposite the residential home, said: 'The residents are back but people going in have to sign in and out.

'You don't expect to go to work and not come home. I feel for her family.'

Gavin Owen, who lives near the scene, watched as SWAT teams swooped outside his house.

He said: 'There was police, everything was cordoned off. So I got scared and worried, and didn't know what was going on.

'When I got home, at the bottom of my street, by the garage, it was cordoned off.

'I had to tell them where I lived and they had to escort me to my front door. They said we're going to have to sign in and out if we want to come in or leave.

'We had people coming to interview us, asking us for ring doorcam footage. And gradually it then expanded, we had standard police officers, then we had men in suits, we had the riot team come and then we had a SWAT team.

'They had ladders up, cable tyres going on the roof, it was just insane.'