Double murder probe after man and woman found dead in home with young children inside

A man and a woman have been found dead in a house in Somerset with two young children inside.

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after the man and the woman were found dead at a home in the village of Norton Fitzwarren at about 9.45pm on Sunday.

Two young children were in the property at the time of the killings, Avon and Somerset Police said. The children were not hurt but police said they are “distressed”.

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The man and the woman, both in their 30s, were found with serious injuries at an address in Dragon Rise.

Despite the efforts of emergency services, they were both pronounced dead at the scene.

Two men, aged 34 and 67, have been arrested on suspicion of murder and are currently in custody for questioning.

Avon and Somerset Police said formal identification of the victims is underway and their post-mortem examinations will be carried out in due course.

The force said that due to prior contact with those involved, it had referred itself voluntarily to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

In a police statement, Detective Inspector Neil Meade, of the Major Crime Investigation Team, said on Monday: “The thoughts of everyone in the force this morning are with the families of the two people who sadly died last night.

“Two young children were inside the property at the time of the incident and while thankfully they weren’t hurt, they are understandably distressed at what has happened.

“They are being looked after and specially trained officers have been deployed to support the victims’ families in what is undoubtedly the most difficult of times.

“We will carry out a full and thorough investigation and we will do all we can to achieve justice for the victims’ families.

“While this appears to be an isolated incident, there will be increased police activity in the area to provide the community with reassurance.

“Incidents like this are very rare but when they do happen, we know they cause significant concern so we’d urge anyone with worries or questions to speak to an officer or contact their local neighbourhood policing team.”

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A police cordon was in place at two properties on the street on Monday evening while forensic investigations were carried out.

One resident of the new build estate around Dragon Rise said the victims were “very friendly”.

Residents said it was a quiet neighbourhood although they said there had been disagreements in the past about parking.

Anyone with any information is urged to contact Avon and Somerset Police on 101 quoting reference number 5221274497.

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