Police investigating the deaths of a British couple at their home in rural France have released details from a post-mortem examination.

Prosecutors say Dawn Searle, 56, was found at their property in Les Pesquies with “several” injuries to her head, while her husband, Andrew Searle, 62, was found hanged with no visible defensive injuries.

They are investigating whether the deaths are the result of a murder-suicide or if a third party was involved.

The pair are said to have been found dead by a German friend, who lives nearby, on Thursday after Mr Searle didn’t arrive for one of their regular dog walks.

The couple moved to the hamlet of Les Pesquies around a decade ago and married in the nearby town of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, in the south of France, in 2023.

A statement from the office of public prosecutor Nicolas Rigot-Muller said Ms Searle was found partially dressed with a major wound to her skull next to a box with jewellery inside.

But no object or weapon was found that could’ve caused the wounds, which an autopsy carried out in Montpellier on Monday found were caused by a blunt and sharp object. There were no signs of sexual assault.

The house appeared to have been quickly searched, while some cash was found in the couple’s room.

Investigators are conducting further examinations, including toxicology and pathology tests, to help determine the precise circumstances of their deaths.

They each have two children from previous relationships and Ms Searle’s son, the country musician and former Hollyoaks star Callum Kerr, said they were in mourning in a statement posted on Saturday.

Family members are understood to have travelled to France, where they have spoken with investigators.

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The mayor of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Jean-Sebastien Orcibal, who was also a neighbour of the Searles, said villagers and the British expat community were going to be getting “psychological help” following the incident, which has left locals in shock.

Speaking to Sky News from the town hall in which he conducted the couple’s wedding ceremony, he said: “It doesn’t seem like the problem comes from here because when we knew them and saw them living here they were very happy, very friendly and didn’t seem to have any problems.

“The problem seems to come from the past or somewhere far away.

“It’s an isolated act, it’s very independent. It doesn’t say that it’s a very dangerous territory, in fact, it’s very peaceful and that’s why probably Andy and Dawn chose to live here, because it’s very peaceful.

“Now, did their past come back and get them? That’s another story. That’s totally different from where we are. It could’ve happened anywhere.”

A Foreign Office spokesperson previously said: “We are supporting the family of a British couple who died in France and are liaising with the local authorities.”

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK

Warren Gatland is leaving his role as Wales rugby head coach with immediate effect.

The 61-year-old was in charge of the national team between 2007 and 2019, before returning to the post in 2022.

He is Wales‘s longest-serving head coach and arguably the most successful in the Welsh Rugby Union’s (WRU) history, with a gate at Cardiff‘s Principality Stadium renamed “Gatland’s Gate” in honour of him in 2019.

But pressure has been growing on Gatland amid a record string of defeats for his Welsh side – 14 losses in a row.

The WRU confirmed on Tuesday that Gatland will be replaced by Cardiff Rugby head coach Matt Sherratt on an interim basis.

The team had a disappointing autumn international series, including losing to Fiji at home in Cardiff for the first time.

The team also suffered the indignity of picking up the wooden spoon in last year’s Six Nations championship for the first time since 2003, and are yet to win a game at this year’s tournament.

Wales failed to score in this year’s opening match, losing to France 43-0, before going on to lose to Italy 22-15 on Saturday.

Gatland returned to Welsh rugby union after succeeding fellow New Zealander Wayne Pivac as Wales head coach.

He also served as head coach for three British and Irish Lions tours in 2013, 2017, and 2021.

In his original stint as Wales head coach, Gatland oversaw four Six Nations victories – including three grand slams, when Wales won every game they played.

Gatland reached out to WRU chief executive Abi Tierney on Monday to discuss his future.

Ms Tierney said Gatland and the union agreed that making the change now – part way through the Six Nations championship – was “in the best interests of the Wales squad”.

She said the WRU was grateful to Gatland “for all he has done for the game in Wales”.

“He remains our longest-serving and most decorated head coach in terms of the silverware he has won,” she added.

‘Time for a change’

Gatland thanked the WRU for “affording [him] the time and resource to try to turn things around for this 2025 tournament”.

“We have worked hard, we have a talented young squad that is developing and have been desperate to turn potential into results but now is the right time for a change,” he added.

Sherratt will oversee Wales for the rest of the tournament, before a permanent replacement is named ahead of fixtures in Japan in the summer.

Speaking ahead of this year’s Six Nations championship, Gatland told critics to “write us off at your peril”.

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Gatland is not the first departure from the WRU in recent months, after the WRU’s executive director of rugby quit in December.

When he stepped down, Nigel Walker said it was “right” that he was “judged on performances on the pitch”.

He said: “Both of our senior teams have found the last 12 months extremely difficult and therefore I believe now is the right time for me to step down”.

Sir Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff Sue Gray has taken up her place in the House of Lords after she was nominated by the prime minister for a peerage.

Ms Gray will now be known as Baroness Gray of Tottenham, representing the area in north London where she was born, and she will sit in the upper chamber as a Labour peer.

The former civil servant, who quit Downing Street last October after about three months in the role, was nominated for a life peerage by the prime minister in December.

She had resigned from her job as Sir Keir’s top adviser amid a power struggle in Number 10.

It saw Morgan McSweeney, Labour’s former campaign director who masterminded the party’s election landslide, replace her in the role.

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Ms Gray rose to public prominence after authoring the report into parties in Downing Street during the pandemic.

Her move to Labour attracted headlines from the beginning, with the Tories raising questions about how much contact she’d had with the party about the top job while still a civil servant.

But it was an internal row that led to her leaving the chief of staff role, with Labour’s first three months in office dominated by negative headlines about her.

Tensions over Ms Gray’s position reached a crescendo when her salary of £170,000 – some £3,000 more than the prime minister – was leaked to the BBC in an apparent attempt to damage her politically.

It was also reported at the time that she was blamed by party staff who were disgruntled they were not being paid more than what they received when Labour was in opposition.

Ms Gray missed Labour’s first party conference in power as the prime minister attracted scrutiny for the more than £100,000 worth of gifts he accepted as Labour leader, including tickets to football matches, concerts and luxury clothes.

Baroness Gray was later offered the role of the prime minister’s envoy for the nations and regions, which she ultimately rejected after missing the first key summit relevant to her new remit.

In her resignation letter last October, Ms Gray said that while it had been “an honour to take on the role of chief of staff”, it had become clear that “intense commentary around my position risked becoming a distraction to the government’s vital work of change”.

“It is for that reason I have chosen to stand aside, and I look forward to continuing to support the prime minister in my new role,” she added.

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Ms Gray was among 30 new Labour peerages announced ahead of Christmas to redress the party “imbalance” in the House of Lords.

The Conservatives nominated six people, and the Liberal Democrats two.

Taking her seat in the unelected House of Lords, Ms Gray wore the traditional scarlet robes for the short introduction ceremony in the upper chamber, where she swore the oath of allegiance to the King.

She was supported by former Whitehall chief and independent crossbencher Lord O’Donnell and fellow Labour peer Baroness Harman.

Her son, the Labour MP Liam Conlon, watched the ceremony from the public gallery in the Lords.