Dead dog 'may hold key' to Bexhill couple's deaths

A dog was also found dead in the house in Collington Rise, Bexhill

A dead pet dog may hold the key to the deaths of a couple in their 70s whose bodies were found in their Sussex home.

Police have called in a specialist vet to establish the cause of death of the dog, at the house in Collington Rise, Bexhill, on Wednesday morning.

Det Ch Insp Trevor Bowles, of Sussex Police, said it was possible the dog had been deliberately killed.

Police say a woman was found with a serious head injury. Her husband appeared to have taken his own life.

Det Ch Insp Bowles said the couple's bodies were found by a postman and a neighbour.

He told BBC Sussex police were not looking for a third party in connection with the deaths and were working on the theory that the husband had murdered his wife and then taken his own life.

But he added: "It is a possibility that the dog has been deliberately killed and that has been the catalyst for a series of events which has led to the two people being found dead yesterday morning."

Post-mortem examinations will be carried out on the couple, who have not been formally identified.