A former Hollyoaks actor has said he is “grieving the tragic loss” of his mother after she was found dead alongside her husband in France.
The bodies of Andrew Searle, a retired fraud investigator, and his wife, Dawn, a project manager, were discovered at about 12.30pm on Thursday at their home in the village of Les Pesquiès, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue. The couple had moved to south-west France from Scotland about 10 years ago.
Scottish-born actor Callum Kerr, 30, who played PC George Kiss in the Channel 4 soap, shared a statement on Instagram. It said: “At this time, Callum Kerr, Amanda Kerr, Tom Searle & Ella Searle are grieving the tragic loss of their mother and father, Dawn and Andrew Searle. No family member is available for media interviews or comments.
“We kindly request that their privacy be respected during this difficult period. We will provide updates as appropriate.”
Kerr has appeared in Netflix’s Virgin River and has released a number of country songs.
Kerr walked his mother down the aisle when she married Searle at a ceremony in France. On social media, he said: “Not many people can say they walked their own mother down the aisle. What a pleasure. I love you, mum.”
According to local media, Dawn was found outside the property with a serious head injury and jewellery around her. She was reportedly found by a neighbour, who thought she was unconscious and called emergency services.
When police, accompanied by a helicopter, a drone, criminal investigation technicians and a forensic doctor, arrived at the property, they discovered Andrew Searle dead. Police say they have reached no conclusion and are keeping an open mind about the deaths.
“Both died violent deaths, but I cannot establish that either was a homicide. All hypotheses remain open,” the public prosecutor, Nicolas Rigot-Muller, said on Friday. Rigot-Muller told the BBC autopsies will begin on Monday.
A spokesperson for the UK’s Foreign Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British couple who died in France and are liaising with the local authorities.”
