Pair charged with murder after nanny's burned body found in South London garden

Victim named locally as 21-year-old who had been working and living with couple

The victim has been named locally as Sophie Lionnet (Facebook)

A man and a woman have been charged with murder after a burned body was discovered at their home in Southfields, South West London.

Police arrived at the address on Wimbledon Park Road after reports of a fire. A body was found at the scene, but it was too badly burned to establish the gender or the age.

They have now charged Ouissem Medouni, 40 and Sabrina Kouider, 34, with murder.

The victim has been named locally as Sophie Lionnet, 21, from France, who had been working for the couple as a live-in nanny.

Ms Kouider, who is now working as a stylist and make-up artist, is the ex-girlfriend of former Boyzone member Mark Walton, it has emerged.

Mr Walton had a son with the suspect, one of two children Ms Lionnet was engaged to look after, according to a Daily Mail report.

A neighbour told The Evening Standard her children saw a man poking what they thought were “sticks” onto a bonfire in the garden on Wednesday evening.

“My little boys looked over and saw this man sweeping some wood into the burning stuff. He told me it was just a ‘big pile of black’.

“I didn’t think much of it they did odd things at odd times anyway. I only ever really saw the French nanny and the kids.”

Detective Inspector Richard Leonard, from the Met's Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: "A post-mortem examination will establish how they died. Early indications are that attempts were made to dispose of the body.

"I would like to appeal to those in and around the area to come forward with information. You may well have seen or heard something suspicious in the last few days which could assist our investigators."

Superintendent Peter Gardner, from Wandsworth Police, said: "I fully appreciate the concern that this investigation will cause in the local community.

"Specialist investigators will be carrying out work at the scene whilst local neighbourhood officers will be patrolling in and around the area to help reassure residents and, where possible, respond to their concerns."

The pair will appear at Wimbledon Magistrates Court on Friday.