'Mutilated' body of British gran found in south west France

The 'mutilated' body of a British expat has been found in the south of France and a man has been charged with her murder.

Violet Price, 80, was living in the Lot-et-Garonne region and is thought to have gone missing from her home last Saturday when her son, Paul, contacted police.

Paul also lives in the area with his family and Mrs Price moved to the town to be closer to them, despite speaking very little French herself.

Mrs Price and her late husband had originally bought the home as a holiday let 15 years ago, the Daily Mail reports.

Local prosecutor, Pascal Prache, of nearby Agen, said: "Going on the statements of the charged suspect and what was found on the ground, it appears clearly that this is the body of Violet Price."

However an autopsy will be required given the state of the body and the fact that it was found in "two separate locations" in the villages of Tombeboeuf and Tourtrès.

According to the Telegraph, a 32-year-old man has been arrested and charged with the murder of the British pensioner.

Mr Prache also added that the man who has been detained has previously been sentenced to eight years in prison on the charge of manslaughter in 2005.

He also gave police information that led them to finding the body thought to be that of Mrs Price.

Mrs Price and the suspect both attended a barbecue on Saturday in Eymet and although the elderly pensioner and the man left separately, they were both at Mrs Price's house in Moustier in the afternoon.

After her missing report was filed, police went to the house and found a car parked outside the property, all the lights on inside and two cups of coffee on the table.

Seventy local police officers were sent out to search for the expat, supported by sniffer dogs and a helicopter, the Mirror reported.

It has also been suggested that members of the local police force believed that the scene left at Mrs Price's house revealed a hasty departure.

The area is extremely popular with British expats but there are fears among the community there as a result of the body of fellow expat, David King, being discovered last week.

The 70-year-old man went missing in October 2014 and was eventually found at the bottom of a well in Pierres, Normandy – close to his home.

A fellow resident of the village has been arrested for his murder.

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