PEOPLE in a remote hamlet yesterday spoke of their shock after the bodies of a man and his wife were found.

Police were called to a semi-detached house in Northmoor, just outside the village of Wykeham, near Scarborough, North Yorkshire, on Friday night.

They found the body of a woman who had been the subject of a serious assault. Her husband was hanging nearby.

Police have not formally identified the couple, but they have been named locally as Duncan Bartholomew and his wife, Sue.

Mr Bartholomew, 45, and his wife, also in her forties, worked for the Forestry Commission, which owns their cottage.

Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with their deaths.

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said the couple had recently been arguing over money.

The neighbour said: "That seems to have been the root of their problems of late and it led to Sue leaving him for a while. She came back but they were still having problems.

"This is an awful shock, a terrible thing to happen to a couple who were both decent people."

Mr and Mrs Bartholomew had no children of their own, but Mr Bartholomew had a daughter in her late teens from a previous relationship.

Neighbour Mavis Ruston, 74, who has lived next to Mr Bartholomew for 22 years, said: "They were a devoted couple, they went everywhere together, I just don't know what went wrong.

"It really feels as though we've lost family and I am as devastated and shocked as everyone else here."

North Yorkshire Police spokesman Ron Johnston said: "The woman appeared to have been the victim of an assault and the man was found hanging close by.

"The area was sealed off and a full investigation begun.

"However, at this early stage it does not appear anyone else was involved."

Post-mortem examinations were carried out yesterday.