A murder investigation has been launched after a woman was found dead in her Twickenham home an hour after her husband and two children were found dead in East Sussex.

Police were called to South Road just before 6pm on Monday, March 5 following concerns raised about the welfare of those inside the house.

Officers attended with London Ambulance Service and found a woman, thought to be in her 40s, dead at the scene with stab injuries.

Detectives "quickly sought to establish the welfare" of her husband and two children, aged seven and 10, who were not found in the home.

Richmond and Twickenham Times: Forensics at the Twickenham home

Sussex Police discovered the bodies of a man and two young boys at Birling Gap seafront, Eastbourne, just before 5pm the same day and contacted the Met Police.

While formal identification awaits, police believe they are the woman’s immediate family.

A spokesman for the Met Police said "at this early stage, police are not looking for anyone else in connection with this investigation".

A crime scene has been set up at their home in Twickenham and a vehicle was recovered in Eastbourne by Sussex Police.

Richmond and Twickenham Times: Police at Birling Gap 

Neighbours said they knew very little about the residents and believed they were new to the area.

Paul Warrington, 54, a graphic designer, said: "They were just a very normal family. There was nothing to suggest anything untoward.

"They kept themselves to themselves. We have a residents' association here and they never got involved with that.

"We used to see the kids and hear them playing in the garden. They were just normal kids making a lot of noise screaming and playing.

"It's just absolutely horrible."

Alicia Mede, 25, a mother of two who lives two doors down, said: "I didn't even know anyone lived there. I have never seen any kids living there or anything.

"I saw Christmas lights on around Christmas time, but that was it.

"I haven't seen anyone come or go."

Next of kin have been informed and no arrests have been made.

Post-mortem examinations for all four individuals will take place in due course.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Metropolitan Police on 0208 721 4005, or locally to Sussex Police on 101 quoting Operation Glasson.

You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.