DETECTIVES are investigating after the bodies of an elderly couple were found in their Hampshire home.

The pensioners, thought to be a married couple in their late 70s and early 80s, were discovered dead at their Totton bungalow at 9.30am yesterday.

Police were called to the scene in St Michael's Road, after a carer made the grim discovery during a routine visit to their home.

The bodies were removed and taken to Southampton General Hospital by private ambulance at about 5pm.

The couple have not yet been named by police as relatives were still to be informed.

Shortly before 6pm last night a representative from Corgi, a gas safety organisation, arrived at the scene.

Mystery surrounds what caused their deaths but post-mortem examinations were due to be carried out during the weekend.

The couple are thought to have only lived in the quiet suburban road for about one year.

Scenes of crime officers, some wearing white masks over their noses and mouths, spent most of yesterday at the bungalow in the hope of finding evidence of what caused the deaths.

Last night the road was quiet, with just one police officer at the home. Two bay windows at the front were wide open.

Neighbour Rachael Ridd, 25, said: "I knew her only just to wave to and to say hello. I didn't know him. She would always be at the gate and wave at you when you drove past."

Neighbour Gary Golding said: "I saw her out talking to a man across the fence the other day.''

Erika Mawer, who lives in the road, said: "They hadn't been living here long.''

A spokesman for gas pipeline company Transco confirmed that gas engineers were called to the premises yesterday morning.

She said: "We did carry out official checks. We weren't allowed in but we checked outside and there didn't appear to be any gas leaking. It is a police matter and is now being dealt with by the police."