A former Watford woman and her South African husband, who were missing from their home in Zimbabwe for two months, have been found murdered.

Hilary Allanson, 58, was allegedly "butchered" at their house in Harare while her husband Ken, 60, was out playing golf. When he returned, Mr Allanson was also killed and their two bodies were dumped in their empty swimming pool.

Mrs Allanson's brother Ian Pollard said his sister, who was born in Watford had lived in Africa for more than 30 years, was apolitical and had no enemies that he was aware of. The couple were quiet people who kept to themselves, he said.

Speaking from his home in Newcastle, he claimed a gang had used charcoal and petrol to burn the bodies before taking the remains to nearby wasteland. They later led police to where the couple had been dumped, he said.

Alarm had been growing over their whereabouts since they disappeared in January, when their maid told relatives she had seen them being driven away in a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

Suspicions were aroused when the maid and her relatives moved into the Allansons' property and began selling off items belonging to the couple.

The Foreign Office has confirmed that three people had been arrested in connection with the murders.