Elderly couple found dead in Bexhill named by police

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

An elderly couple who were found dead in their Sussex home by neighbours have been named by police.

The bodies of Don and Audrey Taylor, who were both in their 70s, were found at their house in Collington Rise, Bexhill, on Wednesday.

A post-mortem examination showed Mrs Taylor died of manual strangulation and Mr Taylor died from hanging.

Officers have been investigating whether the death of a pet dog could hold the key to what happened.

Police called in a specialist vet to establish the cause of death of the dog.

Det Ch Insp Trevor Bowles, of Sussex Police, said: "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."

Mr Bowles has also said police are not looking for a third party in connection with the deaths.

Officers are working on the theory that the husband murdered his wife and then took his own life, Mr Bowles added.