Bodies of Man and Children Found in Andover

1 October 2012, 17:48 | Updated: 1 October 2012, 17:55

A father has stabbed his two children to death before killing himself in a country lane in Andover.

The bodies of Michael Pedersen, 51, from Chertsey in Surrey, Ben Pedersen, seven, and Freya Pedersen, six, both from Ashford in Middlesex, were found next to a Saab 900SE convertible car in the tiny lane at Newton Stacey, near Andover at 6.15pm yesterday.

Detective Superintendent Tony Harris, of Hampshire police, said that the "tragic incident'' happened during a visit to Mr Pedersen's father during an arranged visit with his children from his estranged wife. 

Mr Harris said that Surrey Police were considering referring the case to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) because of some previous contact with Mr Pedersen.

Tonight the children's maternal grandfather, William Clifford, 67, from Buckinghamshire, speaking outside his daughter Erica's home in Ashford, Middlesex, said: 

"We are obviously devastated and what we would ask is that you respect our privacy in this matter. It is extremely distressing and that is all I want to say.''