A former British diver who competed for Great Britain at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne has been found shot dead along with his wife at their villa in Spain.
Peter Tarsey, 77, who also competed in two Commonwealth Games, was found dead alongisde his 77-year-old wife Jean at their home in Xalo near Benidorm on the Costa Blanca.
The couple, who had been living in the region for the last 18 years, were found dead by friends, who had become concerned that they had not been seen for several days, The Daily Telegraph reported.
It is understood that Tarsey and his wife, who have two grown up sons, were laid beside one another on the sofa.
A spokesperson for the Guardia Civil, Spain's national police force, said they appeared to have been shot with a small calibre weapon, but there was no sign of a break in.
Spanish police said the deaths were being treated as homicide, but post-mortem examinations were yet to be carried out.
The Guardia Civil spokesperson said: "A retired British couple both aged 77 were found dead in their home at 4.15 pm yesterday.
They were found by friends who had not heard from them for several days.
"Police were alerted and arrived at the property and found the front door open and the couple dead in each others' arms on the sofa. They died from gunshot wounds and several bullet casings were found on the floor.
"An autopsy will confirm the causes of death and we are still investigating the motive."
Detectives are investigating whether the couple were killed in a bungled robbery.
A television was missing from the house. The couple had a safe in their home containing valuables, which was still locked when officers arrived.
The couple were found dead in their home in Xalo, a small town 50 miles north east of Alicante, on Spain's south east coast, where they had lived for around 18 years.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We can confirm the death of two British nationals in Alicante, Spain. We stand ready to provide consular assistance.
