Neighbours say ‘popular’ British couple found dead in quiet, French hamlet ‘had no enemies’

Dogwalker found couple dead close to their converted cottage where they had lived for ten years hosting aperitifs for neighbours. The neighbours of a British couple found dead near their farmhouse in rural France have said the “popular” couple had no obvious enemies. Andrew Searle, a former organised crime investigator, and his wife, Dawn were found dead by a friend after they failed to meet them for a planned dog walk in the hamlet of Les Pesquiès, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue.

Mr Searle was found in their house and Mrs Searle was outside, near the front door, with jewellery scattered around her. Town mayor Jean-Sébastien Orcibal said the deaths were “clearly a homicide” and dismissed speculation that it was a “burglary gone wrong”. He said it was not a “family tragedy”, suggesting officials believed they did not take their own lives or kill each other. He said: "These people were well integrated into the village. [Mr Searle] was part of the festival committee a few years ago. They regularly invited the whole neighbourhood to come and have an aperitif at their place and share a festive moment. They knew a lot of people.".

Detectives conducted a neighbourhood survey but locals said the couple had no obvious enemies. “We knew them well," neighbour Dominique Loubière said. “They had dogs and sometimes we went for walks with them. They got along well with everyone. “When we arrived, they introduced us to the neighbours. They were very nice.". Ms Searle’s son is former Hollyoaks actor Callum Kerr, who has moved to the United States to become a country music star after starring in the soap as PC George Kiss.

The 30-year-old actor previously shared images on social media of him walking Ms Searle down the aisle to marry Mr Searle in 2023. He wrote: "Not many people can say they walked their own mother down the aisle. What a pleasure! I love you mum. Congrats to Dawn and Andy on their wonderful wedding day and here's to a tremendous life together for the happy couple.". The couple moved to France from Scotland a decade ago after Mr Searle spent his career fighting organised crime and terrorism. This included tackling money-laundering syndicates in countries where sanctions have been imposed, such as Russia.

Mr Searle reportedly also worked in financial crime prevention at Standard Life and Barclays Bank. Their home is situated in a wooded area near the hamlet of Les Pesquiés which has a population of just a hundred people. It has been turned into an extensive crime scene, where forensic teams have been hunting for evidence. A helicopter and drones flew overhead in the search for clues. “They were great neighbours,” a local resident told La Dépêche. "We used to walk our pets together. They made us feel really welcome. It's weird to see this happen here, so close to home.

“They were appreciated by everyone and integrated into village life, despite the language barrier”. The home and its grounds remained cordoned off on Friday, and gendarmes – French police – were carrying out house-to-house enquiries. An investigating source said: “A criminal enquiry has been launched and the fear is that the couple were murdered. “They were very fit, and very popular locally, but there is a theory that they were being pursued by criminals from the United Kingdom.

“This is currently the prioritised line of enquiry, because Mr Searle was once involved in the fight against organised crime and terrorism.”. The source added: “It may well be that gangsters with a score to settle are behind these killings.”. Mayor Mr Orcibal was quick to rule out a robbery gone wrong as a cause of the deaths. He told France 3: "We don't really have any burglaries in our commune and especially not violent burglaries".

"There was no knife found at the scene and it does not look like a burglary.”. But one neighbour contradicted the mayor saying that burglaries were “a real problem in the hamlet”. The couple were described as being “well integrated” in the village. One neighbour said: “Andy and Dawn were lovely – hearing about this is extremely distressing. “They were extremely friendly, and always out and about. What has happened has caused a lot of fear.”.

Another local source said the Searles “had numerous friends locally and further afield including in Britain, and often organised dinner parties”. He added: “They both loved the countryside, and were very happily settled.”. The couple’s detached property includes a two-bedroom flat that was regularly occupied by paying visitors. Villefranche-de-Rouergue, which is in the Aveyron department, is popular with British expats, and UK holiday-home owners.