Bodies of British couple found in car boot

The bodies of Christopher and Jennifer Early were discovered by police in their Volvo car following the robbery.

The couple, aged 69 and 62, were murdered last Thursday at the property in the coastal resort of Hibberdene, detectives believe.

Identity documents showed they came originally from Britain but were understood to have moved to South Africa more than two decades ago.

It was unclear last night which area of the UK the couple originated from.

A police spokesman for the KwaZulu-Natal Province said the couple had been attacked with a weapon which could be identified only as a "blunt object".

Post mortem examinations have yet to be carried out to reveal the exact cause of the couple's deaths.

The spokesman said: "A passer-by noticed a motor vehicle, a white Volvo sedan, that had left the road and it was damaged as it came to a standstill in a ditch. The scene was between Woodgrange and Stick Farm, Hibberdene.

"When police arrived at the scene, they found several items in the vehicle and discovered the bodies of a woman and man in their 60s, at the back of the car.

"Further investigation revealed that the couple, who are residents in the Woodgrange area, were possibly attacked at their home, robbed and killed and then placed in the back of their vehicle.

"The perpetrators then drove the car towards Stick Farm where they lost control of the vehicle and they then fled on foot. The house of the deceased was ransacked.

"It would appear that the couple were assaulted with a blunt object."

The resort is around 60 miles south of Durban on South Africa's north-eastern coast.

With five beaches, the area has become a tourist hotspot for diving and golf enthusiasts.