Police are investigating what they say appears to be a murder suicide at a family home in Papendrecht,  just north of Dordrecht.

The family, a 32-year-old couple and children aged four and six, were found dead at their home on Saturday morning after the emergency services were alerted following reports of a fire at their terraced home.

A preliminary investigation showed that the children had ‘died violently’ and police now assume that the man killed his wife and children before killing himself, Dutch media reported.

The family had been under social services supervision since summer 2017 following a string of domestic disturbances.