A NORTH-EAST woman and her husband have been murdered with axes at their home in Zimbabwe.

Hilary and Ken Allanson had been missing from home since January 8, with police baffled by their disappearance.

Mrs Allanson, 58, and her stamp-dealer husband's maid told police the couple had left their luxury home with another couple, in a 4x4 vehicle.

But on Saturday, Mrs Allanson's brother, Ian Pollard, of Benton, in Newcastle, was told she and her husband's bodies had been discovered.

The couple had been attacked with axes, then placed in their empty swimming pool and set alight. Their bodies were found dumped nearby.

The Allansons' maid, her son and nephew have been arrested in connection with the double murder.

Mr Pollard, 55, an educational psychologist, said: "At first I was told by the police that they were treating it as a missing persons case. A lot of the original investigation concentrated on trying to find these people in the 4x4.

"We checked whether another white couple were missing and I had a solicitor heading the investigation there."

Police set up a sting operation to catch the suspects, which led to the maid and her two relatives being arrested.

Mr Pollard, who last saw his sister fours years ago, said: "I was very close to Hilary, and I very much miss her and Ken. It was a brutal murder and we can only hope they did not suffer much."