A British woman appeared "smiley" and in high spirits, according to one of the last people to see her alive, before she was found dead alongside her husband in their quaint French hamlet.

       The popular couple were found dead at their home in the village of Les Pesquies, a two-hour drive north-east of Toulouse.

       Prosecutor Nicolas Rigot-Muller revealed emergency services were summoned to the couple's remote home following a neighbour's alert.

       Upon arrival, they "found the body of Mrs Searle, partially undressed, in front of her home" before discovering Mr Searle's body hanging from a radiator inside the property.

       The statement further disclosed that Mrs Searle "had a significant wound on her skull" and a box of jewellery was discovered nearby - however, "no objects or weapons capable of inflicting the injuries were found."

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       The mum of two had visited to book chimney sweep appointments in nearby town Villefranche-de-Rouergue for herself and villagers around 18 hours before the couple met their "violent deaths".

       The project manager even made chimney sweep appointments for April for herself and neighbours in her small hamlet.

       The worker who served her said: "Dawn said she felt a little sick, she had the flu, but her mood was very good, smiley."

       The shopkeeper, who knew Dawn and Andrew well, said the expats were a "very generous and united couple" who gave up their Sundays to teach their French neighbours to speak English free of charge.

       Another local businessman described the pair as the "perfect couple" who were always involved in social events held in the community.

       The mechanic said he regularly serviced Dawn’s white Dacia Duster SUV and enjoyed bantering with Andrew about England playing rugby against France.

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       Last week, CCTV footage seemed to show Andrew buying a lottery ticket in the hours before his body was discovered.

       Prosecutors investigating their deaths said Dawn died from a significant head wound after suffering multiple blows to her skull from a blunt and sharp object.

       Relatives flew into France to aid investigators with their insights following the couple's harrowing find. The discovery of the Searles came about when Andrew did not turn up for his routine dog walk.

       A statement from prosecutor Nicolas Rigot-Muller said: "Further examinations (anatomical-pathological, toxicological) are ongoing to determine the precise circumstances of the deaths.

       Investigations are continuing, notably to determine whether the tragedy resulted from a marital crime followed by a suicide or from the intervention of a third party."