Police make second arrest as hunt goes on for killers

A second man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a couple who were found dead in their home, police said.

The 41-year-old is being questioned over the murder of Avtar Kolar, 62, and his wife Carole, 58, whose bodies were discovered at their home in Birmingham by their policeman son on Wednesday morning.

Post-mortem tests have revealed that the couple, who had been married for 40 years and have four children and eight grandchildren, died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head. Both had been struck a number of times.

A 24-year-old man was released on police bail last night, West Midlands Police said.

A murder investigation was launched after the bodies were found inside their semi-detached home by their son, Jason, a serving officer with West Midlands Police.

Detective Superintendent Richard Baker said: “This was a horrendous attack. We continue to follow a number of lines of inquiry. We encourage anyone with information to speak to us no matter how insignificant they feel the detail is.”

The arrests come after two of the couple’s children made an emotional appeal for help to find their parents’ killers.

At a press conference, on Thursday, Michelle Kirwan, 39, described them as “the sweetest, kindest people that I have ever met”, adding: “Our hearts are broken forever and our lives will never be the same.”

Jason Kolar, 32, said: “We are now reaching out to anybody out there who could please, please help. No matter how little or however much they can. Somebody out there knows who did this, so please, I beg of you, help us catch the person, or people, who has taken these two most special people away from us.”

More than 60 officers have been assigned to the case and Mr Baker has vowed to work “around the clock” to find the killers.