British Couple Murdered in Spain

Spanish police yesterday found the bodies of an elderly British couple who had been murdered in their retirement home near Alicante.

The bodies were found in a house in the town of Benissa, in eastern Spain. At least one of the two Britons, who were said to be in their eighties, appeared to have been beaten to death, according to Spanish press reports.

The couple were reported missing by a neighbour who had not seen them for a week. Police reportedly found the two bodies on the floor of the house, with furniture overturned and drawers and cupboards emptied.

Police refused to name the murdered couple, saying relatives needed to be informed. British consular officials were trying to contact the family last night.

A spokesman in Benissa said the police had been called to the house yesterday afternoon. "A window had been broken open so our patrol climbed into the house," he said. "Two elderly people, a man and a woman, were lying dead on the floor and there were obvious signs of violence. The house looked as though it had been ransacked."

Benissa's police force had handed the case over to the civil guard, he said.

It was not clear exactly how long the couple had been dead. "It seems they may have been there for three or four days," the spokesman said, adding that there had been a spate of robberies at holiday and retirement homes owned by foreigners.