Car fire police 'not looking for anyone else'

Police were today investigating whether a murder-suicide or a suicide pact was behind the discovery of two bodies in a burning car.

They were among a number of lines of inquiry being considered by detectives in Leicestershire, who said they were keeping an open mind.

The deaths are being treated as suspicious but police said today they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.

Police were called to a lay-by on the A47 north of Earl Shilton, Leicestershire, at around 11.15pm last night after a passer-by reported a vehicle on fire. The two corpses were then found inside.

A cordon was set up and a blue tent erected around the burnt out vehicle, which is 200 yards but visible from the main road. A forensic examination of the scene began this morning.

Detectives believe they know who the deceased were thanks to the vehicle's identification but a post-mortem examination to be held later today will hold the key.

Speaking by the cordon, Detective Superintendent Chris Thomas, of Leicestershire Police, said the emergency services arrived to find a "horrendous" scene.

He added: "We are doing quite a detailed forensic examination of the scene and a pathologist will be carrying out a post mortem this afternoon.

"It's too early to say exactly how this has happened. We will know more once we have done a post-mortem later today.

"We have not formally identified the two bodies in the car so it would be insensitive to give any indication at this time.

"We are not relating it to any other incident and we are not actively seeking any other person, but we are keeping an open mind."

Because of the ferocity of the fire police will need to rely on DNA tests to identify the bodies.

They were unable to say this morning whether the deceased were male, female or both adults.

Jim Driver, who owns a pet food business just a few hundred yards from the scene, believes there must have been witnesses,

He said: "There's often quite a lot of traffic around there. Lorries park here so the drivers may have seen what happened.

"I would have thought someone would have seen something but a lot of the drivers are foreign, coming in from the continent.

"Because it's a large lay-by, it's ideal for the biggest of transport. I would have thought there were plenty of lorries about then."