Decomposed remains of Scots couple discovered in Tenerife flat

The badly decomposed bodies of James Mutch, 57 and Beatrice Sallens, 69, from Glasgow, were found on Monday morning at an apartment at the Playa de las Americas resort, on the south side of the island.

Police broke into the apartment at the Residencial Los Cardones complex after neighbours reported a foul stench. It is believed the couple may have been dead for around five days.

The pair, who are believed to have lived on the island for five years, were found in the sitting room and bedroom respectively of the apartment.

Police on the holiday island said yesterday there were no signs of violence or a break-in and that the results of post mortem examinations would be vital in establishing the cause of death. Family of the couple spoke of their shock at the double tragedy last night.

Mary Sallens, 81, Beatrice Sallens' former sister-in-law, said: "She was a lovely girl, very chatty and friendly It's terrible what's happened. I heard it on the radio that a couple had died in Tenerife, but I had no idea it would be her."

Ms Sallens, from Townhead, Glasgow, said Beatrice, who grew up in the Ibrox area of Glasgow, had owned a hairdressing salon before she married George Sallens around 45 years ago. The couple later divorced and in more recent years she had worked in the Glasgow Museum of Transport.

A senior officer from the Spanish National Police said: "We are not ruling out foul play at this stage because we are still waiting for the results of the autopsies.

"They had both been dead for a number of days. Neither body bore any signs of violence. The house was tidy and there were no signs of a struggle. Also no forced entry had been made."

Asked if the couple might have made a suicide pact, the officer said: "We are not going to speculate. But I can tell you that there were no visible indications whatsoever that might be the case - no empty medicine bottles or jars. No signs of large quantities of alcohol having been consumed. Nothing at all pointing towards that possibility."

Janitor Daniel Herrera Padilla raised the alarm at 10am on Monday after other residents alerted him to the smell.

He said: "A trail of what looked liked dried blood was coming out of the home towards the patio. And through a window you could see the corridor and the lifeless body of a woman. We couldn't see the man."

Neighbours told one local Spanish paper the man suffered from a terminal illness.One said: "He was very ill, in fact he could hardly walk."

Last night Clio O'Flynn, the editor of Island Connections, the island's local newspaper, said police were investigating reports that Mr Mutch was terminally ill and died after falling and hitting his head against a table in the sitting room.

The Foreign Office said it had been informed of the deaths and was providing consular assistance to next of kin.