Investigations continue after two Brits die in France

An investigation into the death of a British couple in France is continuing, after their bodies were discovered by a neighbour on Thursday.

The pair, named on Friday as Andrew and Dawn Searle, moved to south west France from Scotland about a decade ago.

The local mayor, Jean-Sébastien Orcibal, told French television that the deaths were “clearly a homicide”.

The prosecutor in charge of the investigation, Nicolas Rigot-Muller, told the BBC autopsies would take place on Monday, adding: “Investigations are currently taking place.”

The couple’s bodies were found at about 12:20 on Thursday at their home in the hamlet of Les Pesquiès, in a rural area north of the city of Toulouse.

The discovery was made by a neighbour, who went to check on them when they failed to turn up for a planned dog walk.

The area around their detached house has been sealed off while investigations take place, and local police have called in expert help Toulouse.

Forensics officers spent Thursday searching the scene of the crime, with a helicopter, a drone, criminal investigation technicians and a forensic doctor deployed to the site.

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

Mr Orcibal, who represents the Villefranche-de-Rouergue area, 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”.

Mr Orcibal also said the couple had become “very well integrated” in the village and used to regularly invite neighbours, many of them fellow expats, 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.

Mrs Searle is the mother of actor and country musician Callum Kerr.

He has appeared in Netflix’s Virgin River and played PC Kiss in Hollyoaks.

He has also released a number of country songs.

Mr Kerr walked his mother down the aisle as she married Mr Searle at the ceremony in France.

On social media, he said: “Not many people can say they walked their own mother down the aisle. What a pleasure. I love you mum.”

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

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

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

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.”