There are fears that a British couple which were found dead in their home in France may have been tortured and murdered.
Andrew and Dawn Searle, in their 60s and originally from England and Scotland, whose bodies were found by their neighbour in the hamlet of Les Pesquiès, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, on Thursday afternoon.
Their property and its grounds, which are now a crime scene, are being investigated by local police and forensics officers.
Drones could also be seen circling overhead, while house-to-house enquiries being carried out by gendarmes.
An investigating source had initially revealed that “it is feared that it might have been a burglary gone wrong”.
They explained: “The house is very isolated, close to thick woods, and it may have been targeted. A neighbour who goes on long walks with the couple discovered the bodies when he called round to see them. He is currently speaking to detectives.”
Another source, however, told French publication La Depeche: “A criminal enquiry has been launched and the fear is that the couple were murdered. They were very fit, and very popular locally, but there is a theory that they were being pursued by criminals from the United Kingdom. This is currently the prioritised line of enquiry, because Mr Searle was once involved in the fight against organised crime and terrorism.”
Mrs Searle was found with a wound to the head while her husband showed signs of violence.
Regional prosecutor Nicolas Rigot-Muller said: “Both died a violent death,” he said. “All scenarios are being examined.”
A post-mortem examination is set to take place on Monday.
The couple moved to Les Pesquiès, which is in the Aveyron department, around 10 years ago. It is an area full of British expats, and holiday home owners from the UK, and they were said to be extremely popular.
An investigating source said: “They had numerous friends locally and further afield including in Britain, and often organised dinner parties. They both loved the countryside, and were very happily settled. They were very proud of their house, which is situated well away from other buildings in the hamlet.”