Mild man 'murders wife and daughter'

Neighbours spoke of their shock and disbelief after police discovered the bodies of 55-year-old Susan McFall and her 18-year-old daughter Francesca at their large family home in Hampton Road, Oswestry, Shropshire, early yesterday morning.

A murder inquiry was launched but less than four hours later a man's body was discovered at an industrial unit several miles up the road. It was identified last night as that of husband and father Hugh McFall. Detectives said they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.

Neighbours in the affluent road where the McFalls lived for more than 10 years described them as an "ordinary family".

Friend and next door neighbour James Bond said: "It is stunning news. I cannot believe it, it hits you right between the eyes. Something has happened that has made him flip.

"He was a lovely, mild-mannered man. He was friendly and rational and would help out at a moment's notice, he was a good friend.

"It is ludicrous – this is so out of character. He has acted like he was out of his mind."

Mr Bond, 51, said the family had recently enjoyed a trip to New York and excitedly shared their holiday photos with him when they returned.

"They had a fantastic time... they were just full of it," he said. "They are a particularly close family, I honestly can't think of a family less likely than them for this to happen to."

Mrs McFall is believed to have worked part-time as a cashier in a local bank, while former school head girl Francesca, known to her friends as "Frankie", was studying for her A-levels.

She had written on the internet just hours before she was murdered of how she was "buzzing" with excitement about attending an upcoming Valentine's Ball. The teenager said how much she had enjoyed New York and was planning to visit Nepal this summer, to undertake volunteer work in a hospital.

Another neighbour said: "This is just a normal, peaceful street, and they seemed like a normal family. It is shocking to wake up to police cars and all this media on your doorstep."

Mr Bond said police knocked on his door early yesterday morning and broke the news that Mrs McFall and her daughter had been killed, telling him they were "desperate to find the husband".

"We told them he had a lock-up in St Martins," he added.

Mr McFall's body was found shortly before 9am at the industrial unit, several miles from Oswestry.

Craig Jones, a mechanic working next door, said Mr McFall used the address as a base for his flower business.

"As I drove into work this morning two police cars followed me in... they went next door. I think they kicked the door down, then they came round and told us we'd have to lock up.

"I heard they found Hugh's body inside, and his truck is parked down the road."

West Mercia Police have not yet given details of the circumstances of the three deaths. Forensic officers and uniformed police remained at the family home and the industrial unit throughout yesterday, and the short stretch of Hampton Road remained cordoned-off last night.

The case appears to have chilling echoes of a tragedy which happened seven miles up the road just 18 months ago. Debt-ridden business tycoon Christopher Foster murdered his wife Jillian and daughter Kirstie at their luxury mansion, Osbaston House, in Oswestry in August 2008 before killing himself.