A man has been charged with murder after two women died in a stabbing in a quiet village.

Jack Ralph has also been charged with attempted murder after a man was taken to hospital with serious injuries during the incident in Hadlow, near Tonbridge, on Saturday, Kent Police said.

Police were called by paramedics to a house in Carpenters Lane just after 7.40am.

Three people were found with injuries “consistent with a stabbing”, police said.

Two women, aged in their 50s and 70s, died at the scene. The man, also in his 70s, is in a stable condition in hospital, according to a force spokeswoman.

The 28-year-old, who lives on the street, remains in custody and will face two counts of murder and one of attempted murder when he appears via video link at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Police have not yet named the victims but believe they and the suspect knew each other.

Neighbours spoke of their shock of what had happened in such a “quiet and friendly” village.

Sophie Moorey-Brown, 31, told the Press Association: “We’ve lived here for five years and never heard anything bad happen, it has always been so quiet and a lovely place to be.

“We are very shocked and saddened by what we have heard.

“It is such an awful thing to hear anywhere but in our lovely, friendly little village it’s bound to rock us residents even more so.”

Neighbour Nigel Keogh, a 51-year-old plasterer, and his wife Natalie, 52, said: “It’s quite shocking really. It’s a nice little village.

“We moved from London to get away from all this and it’s right on your doorstep.”