Hollyoaks star speaks out after actor’s mum killed in France with husband

The bodies of the British couple were discovered at a rural house in the south of the country on Thursday.

Kerr's mother Dawn Searle and her partner Andrew, both in their 60s, were discovered on Thursday afternoon by a neighbour in Les Pesquiès, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue.

Investigations into how they died are still ongoing, but local mayor, Jean-Sébastien Orcibal, told French media that the deaths were "clearly a homicide".

Mr Orcibal told BBC News that the couple had become "very well integrated" in the village and used to regularly invite neighbours, many of them fellow expats, for a drink.

He also dismissed speculation the deaths were due to a burglary "gone wrong", and said "no knife was found".

Several local media outlets have reported that Mrs Searle was found with head injuries outside the house with jewellery scattered around her. Meanwhile Mr Searle was reportedly discovered inside the house.

Former Hollyoaks star Callum Kerr shared a statement about his mum on Instagram on Saturday.

"At this time, Callum Kerr and Amanda Kerr are grieving the loss of their mother, Dawn Searle (nee Smith, Kerr), while Tom Searle and Ella Searle are mourning the loss of their father, Andrew Searle," the statement said.

It went on to ask for privacy "during this difficult period" and said further updates would be provided "as appropriate".

The 30-year-old is best known for his role as PC George Kiss in Channel 4's Hollyoaks.

Mr Searle is said to have previously worked as an organised crime financial investigator in the UK.

A LinkedIn profile in his name says he retired in 2015 after working for Barclays and Standard Life, and was "enjoying life in rural France".

His page talks about "over 20 years experience specialising in Financial Crime Prevention (AML, Fraud and Anti-Bribery) with a high profile in the industry and an extensive network of contacts".