A British couple have been found shot dead locked in each other's arms in a villa near Benidorm, according to sources.

Sky Correspondent Martin Brunt said the couple, aged 77, were found dead in the villa in Xalo at around 4pm on Sunday.

The Guardia Civil said post-mortem examinations have not yet been completed, but they are believed to have been killed in the last few days.

The couple, who have been residents in Spain for 18 years, had no known criminal history and "had not been doing anything strange", according to police.

Officers said there was no sign of forced entry and the case is being treated as homicide. A TV was found to be missing in the property and a computer was found in the swimming pool.