Killer of Brit couple found dead at French holiday home ‘caught on camera’ before murder as cops probe CCTV

COPS judge the slayer of a British mates recovered dormant astatine their location successful agrarian France were caught connected camera earlier the murder.

The bodies of Andrew and Dawn Searle, who were some successful their 60s, were discovered successful Les Pesquiès, southbound of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, connected Thursday.

Andrew was a erstwhile fiscal researcher progressive successful the conflict against organised crime, starring to fears that gangsters arranged a nonrecreational hit precocious astatine nighttime and disappeared unseen.

But – contempt its agrarian determination – the hamlet is surrounded by police and roadworthy video surveillance cameras that run 24 hours a day.

There are besides backstage devices belonging to neighbours of the Searles who often permission their properties empty.

An investigating root said connected Saturday: "It would beryllium perfectly intolerable to get successful oregon retired without being filmed.

"The likelihood is that a car was used, but adjacent if idiosyncratic managed to get crossed the countryside connected foot, they were decidedly caught connected camera astatine immoderate point."

Specialist officers appointed by prosecutors person already started examining days of footage successful a radius of astatine slightest five-miles astir the suspected execution scene.

Gendarmes are besides making house-to-house enquiries, and collecting each footage available.

"Criminals tin instrumentality each benignant of precautions to disguise their activitities, but cameras are everywhere," said the source.

"We’re not dealing with unfastened countryside - Villefranche-de-Rouergue is simply a good policed municipality and cameras play a immense portion successful the combat against crime."

Initial examinations of the bodies showed nary weapon oregon slug wounds but Dawn is said to person been recovered with a caput wounded surrounded by scattered jewellery.

No weapons were recovered astatine the country and determination person been nary arrests successful transportation with the suspected crime.

Dawn's lad Callum Kerr is simply a Scottish histrion and state vocalist who starred successful Hollyoaks and Netflix's Virgin River.

He is champion known for playing PC George Kiss successful the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks between 2020 and 2021 and helium astir precocious starred successful the latest bid of Virgin River.

On Friday the 30-year-old actor-turned-singer who lives successful Nashville released his latest single, according to his Instagram.

He had antecedently shared a joyous photograph from his mother's wedding to Andrew successful September 2023.

It showed the parent and lad hand-in-hand arsenic helium walked her down the aisle wearing a accepted Scottish kilt.

In the post, Callum wrote: "Not galore radical tin accidental they walked their ain parent down the aisle. What a pleasure!! I emotion you, Mum."

"Congrats to Dawn and Andy connected their fantastic wedding time and here's to a tremendous beingness unneurotic for the blessed couple."

He has not spoken publically astir the couple's deaths.

Dawn and Andrew had moved to France from Scotland a decennary agone aft Andrew retired.

He spent his moving vocation progressive successful the "fight against organised transgression and terrorism", according to a French investigating source.

They said: "A transgression enquiry has been launched and the fearfulness is that the mates were murdered.

"They were precise fit, and precise fashionable locally, but determination is simply a mentation that they were being pursued by criminals from the United Kingdom.

"It whitethorn good beryllium that gangsters with a people to settee are down these killings."

Andrew's LinkedIn professional illustration said helium was: "Responsible for each Anti-Financial Crime matters successful the UK & Europe relation - providing an investigation service for the Group."

This included taking connected large money-laundering syndicates successful countries wherever sanctions person been imposed, specified arsenic Russia.

Andrew, primitively from West Sussex, worked successful the fiscal transgression assurance limb of Barclay’s Bank successful Edinburgh, and astatine Standard Life, which is besides based successful the Scottish capital.

After surviving unneurotic successful Scotland, helium and Dawn moved to France wherever they renovated the run-down spot that became their beloved location and vacation let.

Advertised connected the authoritative Aveyron tourer website nether the header "At Andrew and Dawn’s", the online advertisement read: "2 chamber flat (6-8 people) afloat furnished and equipped with swimming pool offering plentifulness of privacy.

"A beauteous flat successful the beauteous countryside, offering privateness and tranquility."

On Saturday, the spot and surrounding onshore remained sealed disconnected by investigators.

Jean-Sébastien Orcibal, the politician of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, said the "deaths were intelligibly a homicide," and not a "burglary gone wrong," as had been speculated earlier.

He said a neighbour recovered the bodies astatine astir 12.20pm connected Thursday, aft they did not get to locomotion their dogs unneurotic arsenic planned.

A forensic doc moving for the judicial authorities successful Montpellier arrived astatine the tract by chopper connected Thursday, and is apt to merchandise autopsy results connected Monday.

The Searle’s location included a two-bedroom level designed for paying guests.

There is simply a swimming excavation outside, and past heavy woods which enactment the location successful an isolated position, distant from the centre of the hamlet, wherever astir 100 radical live.

Nicolas Rigot-Muller, the Rodez prosecutor, is successful complaint of the investigation, with judicial constabulary and gendarmes supporting him.

Rigot-Muller said: "Both died a convulsive decease - each leads are being examined."

Villefranche-de-Rouergue is successful the Aveyron section – the French mentation of a county.

It is afloat of British expats, and vacation location owners from the UK.

Another section root said the mates "had galore friends locally and further afield including successful Britain, and often organised meal parties."

He added: "They some loved the countryside, and were precise happily settled.

"They were precise arrogant of their house, which is situated good distant from different buildings successful the hamlet".

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: "We are supporting the household of a British mates who died successful France and are liaising with the Local Authorities."