Two found dead at Hertfordshire country house hotel

Two guests at a Hertfordshire hotel have been found dead.

Police were called to Down Hall Country House hotel near Hatfield Heath on the Hertfordshire/Essex border at about 7:35pm on Saturday.

The pair, a man and a woman, were discovered under water in the hotel swimming pool.

Hotel staff and ambulance crews attempted to revive both guests but they were pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate are investigating and the deaths are being treated as unexplained.

The hotel, set in a building which dates back to 1322, stated on its Facebook page on Friday that it would be hosting weddings, birthday parties and christenings over the weekend. It is owned by Veladail Hotel Group, which is a sister property of Flemings hotel in London's Mayfair.

In a statement, Down Hall hotel manager Chris Falcus said: "We are devastated by this tragic incident and our thoughts are with the families and friends of those concerned. As soon as the alarm was raised, two of our team dived into the pool and did everything they could to try to save them. We are co-operating fully with the police investigation."