FRIENDS and former colleagues have today issued a heartfelt plea for a Hampshire dad to hand himself in to police after his partner and baby were found murdered.

Anthony Marsh, 21, and Stephanie Bellinger, 24, met and fell in love at the Bartley Lodge Hotel, Cadnam, where they both worked.

Duty manager Stephanie had been with the company several years and met Anthony in summer 2006 when he started at the hotel where he worked as trainee manager.

Today a worker who knew them both pleaded to Anthony to come forward and give police his version of events.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "I don't know what I would say to him, I would just urge him to hand himself in as soon as possible and not make things worse.

"We are all shocked and devastated by what has happened.

"He was always a really nice guy and popular with everyone who knew him "He was lovely, they both were really bubbly and everyone liked them.

"I know the police are appealing for Anthony to come forward and I hope he follows their advice.

"We are worried for his wellbeing is he's sleeping rough and we don't know his frame of mind.

"I just can't believe it has happened."

She went on to say while the pair never came to the hotel after they left staff regularly bumped into them in Totton.

Both left in June 2007 as Stephanie was pregnant with her first child and Anthony wanted to find a better paid job to provide for his young family.

She spoke as police announced they were stepping up their manhunt.

The bodies of the mum and baby were found by a relative at 9.05am yesterday at their home in Myrtle Avenue, Totton.