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British couple named after deaths at French home

Facebook Andrew and Dawn Searle smile for the camera while standing outside - she is wearing a blue top with her arms stretched out wide, while he has a grey jacket/top on and is also smilingFacebook
Andrew and Dawn Searle had moved to France from Scotland about 10 years ago
Jonathan Geddes
BBC Scotland News

A British couple have been found dead in their home in south west France.

Andrew and Dawn Searle, who moved to France from Scotland about 10 years ago, were discovered by their neighbour on Thursday.

The mayor of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Jean-Sébastien Orcibal, told French television that the deaths were "clearly a homicide".

The couple lived in the hamlet of Les Pesquiès in a rural area north of Toulouse.

Mr Searle is originally from England and Mrs Searle grew up in Eyemouth in the Scottish Borders.

The couple - who were in their 60s - lived in Musselburgh, near Edinburgh, before they moved to Les Pesquiès, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue.

France Télévision Forensics officers taking boxes either to or from the boots of a car, with another car with its boot open next to them. Trees and bushes are all around them.France Télévision
Forensics officers spent Thursday searching the scene of the crime

According to his LinkedIn page, Mr Searle had worked in financial crime prevention at companies including Standard Life and Barclays Bank during his career.

The couple's bodies were found at about 12:20 on Thursday after a neighbour went to check on them at their detatched house when they failed to turn up as planned for a dog walk.

Mr Orcibal told BBC News the cause of the death was still unclear. He had earlier dismissed speculation the deaths were due to a burglary "gone wrong", and said "no knife was found".

The area around the house has been sealed off and local police have called in expert help from the city of Toulouse.

At the moment no criminal case has been opened, and police say there is no preferred theory about how the couple died.

France Télévision A home with white walls, surrounded by trees and hedgesFrance Télévision
The bodies were discovered early on Thursday afternoon

Mr Orcibal also said the couple had become "very well integrated" in the village and used to regularly invite neighbours for a drink.

The mayor added that Mr and Mrs Searle had got married in the summer of 2023, and that Mr Searle had worn a kilt for the wedding.

A helicopter, a drone, criminal investigation technicians and a forensic doctor have been seen at the home.

The Rodez prosecutor, Nicolas Rigot-Muller, who is in charge of the investigation, has still not commented on the case.

Les Pesquiès has around 100 residents and the area is popular with expats.

A spokesperson for the UK's Foreign Office said: "We are supporting the family of a British couple who died in France and are liaising with the local authorities."