Double murder probe after man and woman found dead in Somerset village
22 November 2021, 16:19 | Updated: 22 November 2021, 17:00
A man and a woman were killed at a property in Somerset while two small children were inside.
The pair, aged in their 30s, were found with serious injuries in the village of Norton Fitzwarren on Sunday night, police said.
They were pronounced dead at the scene after emergency services rushed to Dragon Rise at 9.45pm.
Two men, aged 34 and 67, have been arrested on suspicion of murder and are being questioned in custody.
Avon and Somerset Police said formal identification of the victims is underway and their post-mortems 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.
Detective Inspector Neil Meade, of the Major Crime Investigation Team, said: "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."
He added: "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."
A police cordon remains in place at two properties on the street while forensic investigations are carried out.
Anyone with any information is urged to contact Avon and Somerset Police on 101 quoting reference number 5221274497.
