The murder of a 16-year-old transgender girl in Cheshire may have been a hate crime, police have said. 

Brianna Ghey was stabbed to death in Culcheth Linear Park near Warrington on Saturday. 

A 15-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy are currently being held on suspicion of murder by Cheshire Police

The force had initially described the stabbing as a "targeted attack" and said they did not believe she was killed because she was transgender. 

However, in a statement on Tuesday afternoon, Cheshire Police said they are exploring all lines of enquiry "including whether this was a hate crime". 

Detectives are continuing to trace the weapon used in the attack. 

In a statement, the force said: "All lines of enquiry are being explored, including whether this was a hate crime.

"Please continue to avoid speculation online and be wary of sharing misinformation relating to this case." 

It is understood that Brianna, who was well known for her popular videos on social media platform TikTok, was born a boy but had been living as a girl for a number of months before her death.