Murder probe after man and woman found dead in house

Police have launched a murder investigation after the bodies of a man and a woman were found at a house in a seaside town.

Officers were called to Worthing, West Sussex, at 1.51am on Friday and initially described the deaths as unexplained.

The woman, thought to be in her 30s, and the man, believed to be in his 40s, knew each other. They are yet to be formally identified but their next of kin have been informed, a Sussex Police spokesman said.

Forensics officers spent most of the day at the rear of the house in South Farm Road, while a guarded police cordon covered part of the pavement and a car parked at the front.

Neighbours spoke of their shock at the deaths.

Heather Denyer, 24, said she came home at 1.40am from working in McDonald's and was surprised to find large numbers of police cars in the street, adding: "This is a quiet neighbourhood.

"The neighbours here know each other but the people who lived in that house kept themselves to themselves.

"We didn't know them well."

Detective Superintendent Adam Hibbert, of the Sussex and Surrey major crime team, said: "At the present time we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the investigation.

"Our inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the deaths and we would discourage anyone from speculating as to what happened."

Anyone with information should call 101 quoting Operation Assert.