West London deaths: Murder investigation under way after 'elderly couple and son' found dead

Scotland Yard said the 30-year-old man had been arrested on 10 February on suspicion of affray and that inquiries are continuing

Scotland Yard said the 30-year-old man had been arrested on 10 February on suspicion of affray and that inquiries are continuing (Getty)

A murder inquiry has been launched following the deaths of an elderly couple, who were found in their west London flat, and that of a 30-year-old man believed to be their son, who was found on a roof.

Police were treating the death of the younger man, named locally as Ashraf Amrani, as unexplained and discovered the bodies of the elderly couple as they tried to get in touch with his next of kin.

Scotland Yard said the 30-year-old man had been arrested on 10 February on suspicion of affray and that inquiries are continuing. Police are not looking for anyone else at present in connection with the deaths.

The dead couple were named by neighbours as Hassan and Zara Amrani. One neighbour in the 1960s block, Landor House, roof in Westbourne Park Road, said police had been called to the address on Thursday but that a man, believed to be the couple's son, had tried to block them from going inside.

“The last time I saw the wife was on Thursday and she didn't look happy. She looked a bit fed up and sad,” she said. “She said her husband had called her and said there was some trouble in the house.

"On that same night when I went home my brother told me that police had been round and they were looking for the son and opened the door. He got the impression he was in there and not letting them in.

"I hadn't seen the son for a few years, and then I saw him again about a month and a half ago. He did used to get into a fair amount of trouble, but he never disturbed us."

The neighbour, who asked not to be named, paid tribute to the "lovely couple", who were originally from Morocco also have a grown-up daughter and a young grandson.

She said: "They were just a really nice couple. I'm just so shocked. They were always so nice. She would always go and see her daughter and grandson."

She added that the couple were very house-proud and doting : "The husband was a very quiet man. They had an extremely beautiful house. She kept everything immaculate. It is awful."

Forensics officers continued to search the maisonette flat on Sunday and flowers were left outside in tribute to the murdered couple. The property is in the same street as the one where the son’s body was found.

Next of kin have been informed of the deaths, but police have not released the names of the victims. Post mortems are to be carried out to determine the causes of death.

A Scotland Yard spokesman added: : "A referral will be made to the Independent Police Complaints Commission on Monday."