A supermarket worker who was stabbed to death in an aisle at work was a “bubbly, lovely girl”, well-wishers have said.
Customers pinned down the suspect after Jodie Willsher, 30, was attacked at an Aldi in Skipton, North Yorkshire, on Thursday afternoon.
A 44-year-old local man was being questioned on suspicion of murder on Friday morning.
Floral tributes were left outside the shop (Pat Hurst/PA)
Mrs Willsher was married to Mal and their daughter is at primary school.
He changed his profile picture on Facebook to show the couple smiling together.
The town council’s mayor Andy Rankine said: “Skipton is a small but close-knit community where most people know each other. We are in shock about the sad events of yesterday where a store worker was murdered whilst going about her duties.
“The whole town is in shock and grieving over the loss of Jodie. Christmas this year will an ordeal for many residents.”
People left tributes on a community Facebook page, saying “she was such a happy, friendly person”, while another described her as a “bubbly, lovely girl”.
One wrote: “Horrendous, so tragic for her family and for those who witnessed this barbaric act.”
Another customer said she had seen Mrs Willsher earlier that day wearing a Christmas jumper at work.
Paramedics were called to the store in Keighley Road but Mrs Willsher died despite their efforts (Pat Hurst/PA)
One shopper who was in the store at the time of the attack said she had “never been so scared in my life”.
The witness, who asked to remain anonymous, heard “loads of screams” then saw the victim lying on the floor and a man pinned down as “everyone screamed and ran up and down”.
Floral tributes to Mrs Willsher have been left at the edge of the police cordon around the store, which is closed until further notice while police continue their investigation.
One man, who did not want to be named, lay down flowers describing the victim as an “absolutely lovely person”.
He said: “I went to school with Jodie, primary school and high school. She was a well-liked person, I don’t know anyone who had a grudge against her, she seemed, lovely, such a nice person.
“There’s probably 20,000 people in Skipton and around 5,000 will know her, through school and working at the shop, it’s that kind of small town.
“She idolised her daughter. She put a snap on Facebook yesterday of her with her daughter cuddling in bed before she went to work. Nobody should ever go to work and not come home.”
A sympathy card left with flowers read: “To our dear beautiful sweet friend. We are all broken. Sorry we never got our girls’ night, here a glass to you. J xx”
Tributes left by the Aldi in Skipton (Pat Hurst/PA)
Another card read: “Jodie, no words can explain how much you are going to be missed. You were truly 1 in a million. xxx L.”
Earlier a team of police officers, plain-clothed detectives and scene of crime investigators opened the store and went inside, where half-filled shopping trolleys and items left at check-outs could be seen abandoned after the horror unfolded.
A steady stream of well-wishers came to leave flowers at the police cordon.
A cousin of the victim, who did not want to speak to reporters, arrived with flowers. She broke down in tears, clutching a bouquet of flowers, and sat on the ground, rocking back and forth and sobbing while being comforted by a man who was with her.