Pictures of two sisters dancing in a park draped in fairy lights hours before they were stabbed to death were today issued by murder squad detectives.

Nicole Smallman, 27, and Bibaa Henry were murdered in Fryent Country Park, Kingsbury, where they had been celebrating social worker Ms Henry's 46th birthday with pals.

The pictures were found on the phone of one of the sisters retrieved from a pond by police divers.

Three weeks on from the double murder police are still hunting their killer who they say was definitely a man.

The sisters' bodies were found in the park on Sunday June 7.

They had gone to the park for a picnic with friends to mark Ms Henry's birthday on the evening of June 5.

People gradually left throughout the evening and by around 12.30am only Ms Smallman, of Harrow, and Ms Henry, of Brent, remained. Officers believe they were murdered within the next couple of hours.

Police say that the half-sisters last had contact with friends in the early hours of Saturday when they were still in the park "in good spirits and taking selfie pictures."

Detectives said the sisters were "listening to music and dancing with fairy lights" until at least 1.13am when it is believed the pictures were taken.

Ealing Times:

But calls to the sisters 75 minutes later at 2.30am went unanswered.

Police have received more than 100 calls from members of the public following a previous appeal for information.

The women were the daughters of Wilhelmina Smallman, the UK's first female Church of England archdeacon from a minority ethnic background.

In a statement issued through Scotland Yard, she said: "The greatest fear of any parent is that they will outlive their children.

"What makes our situation unique is that two adored sisters were murdered together on the same night.

"The grief we feel is palpable, our beautiful and talented daughters gone.

"Although there was a large age gap between them they shared a lot of the same interests. They were both very much interested in the arts.

"Bibaa, a hardworking professional, was an exceptional senior social worker and a passionate advocate for safeguarding vulnerable children and families.

"Before qualifying, and to earn some extra cash, she would transport disabled children to their activities.

"At her side in a car seat she would have our granddaughter who was only a couple of months old.

"Bibaa was just barely five foot, but she had the heart of a lion and a smile that would put Blackpool illuminations to shame."

Ealing Times:

Bibaa Henry, left, and Nicole Smallman. Credit: Met Police

"Nicole being the youngest of three sisters was a joy from the moment she entered this world. Nicole saw beauty in everything; she had a very calm and positive attitude towards most things in life.

"She was a strong advocate for humanitarian causes and saving our planet.

"Friends and family all agree she was beautiful both inside and out. Nicole was incredibly laidback and very approachable."

She added: "The tributes for our girls keep flooding in; it has been comforting, heart-breaking and at times overwhelming.

"The pain we feel as a family is so deep no words can express how we are feeling.

"This has had a devastating impact on our lives and each day gets worse to think our daughters, Bibaa and Nicole, are not with us and that they have been brutally killed by someone.

"We are appealing to anyone who may have seen, heard, or know something to please contact the police who are investigating what has happened to our daughters."

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Harding, who is leading the investigation, said: "Extensive searches are ongoing at the scene and we are discovering more evidence all the time. Any motive for the murders remains unknown, and we are exploring all possibilities.

"The meticulous work carried out by our specialist search teams has led to the recovery of a number of items belonging to both Nicole and Bibaa. This includes both of their mobile phones, which were found in a pond some distance from where they were discovered."

He added: "They were in good spirits and taking selfie pictures, listening to music and dancing with fairy lights until at least 1.13am.

"Those lights created a distinctive pattern, as the two images we are releasing today show. This in itself may have been noticeable to local residents and other users of the park.

"Did you see the lights at the time and if so can you remember where you were and whether you saw anything suspicious? Calls to the victims at around 2.30am went unanswered."

"We have seized a considerable amount of CCTV from around the perimeter of the park and in surrounding roads, however if you have CCTV or dash cam footage and live locally or were out in the area and have not been contacted I urge you to get in touch."

He said the killer received a "significant" injury or injuries during the attack, and that he left the park via the Valley Drive entrance.

DCI Harding said that it is also possible that people may have stumbled on items of property, but not realised the significance of them.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call 020 8721 4205 or tweet @MetCC quoting CAD 3160/7Jun, or visit https://mipp.police.uk/operation/01MPS19Z02-PO1.

Call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

  • A 36-year-old man arrested in south London on suspicion of murder earlier this month was subsequently released and will face no further action regarding the murder.