Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Aerial footage shows police forensic teams in the property's garden

Police searching for a missing former EastEnders actress and her two children have found three bodies at their south-east London home.

Sian Blake, 43, and her two young sons, aged four and eight, have not been seen since 13 December.

The Met Police said the bodies were found in the garden and a murder investigation was under way.

Ms Blake's partner Arthur Simpson-Kent, 48, had alerted police but went missing himself three days later.

Image copyright Met Police Image caption Sian Blake played Frankie Pierre in the BBC One soap opera

Image copyright Met Police Image caption Zachary (left) and Amon went missing with their mother last month

Image copyright Met Police Image caption Mr Simpson-Kent, seen here with son Amon, was last seen on 16 December

Mr Simpson-Kent is the father to the actress's two children Zachary, eight, and Amon, four, who were last seen in Waltham Forest, north-east London.

Ms Blake, who has motor neurone disease, played Frankie Pierre in the soap between 1996 and 1997.

Image caption Sian Blake, seen here alongside EastEnders co-star Howard Anthony, left the BBC One show in 1997

Det Supt Paul Monk said: "As yet, we have not formally identified the bodies but this is a significant development and Sian's family have been informed."

Police had earlier revealed that Ms Blake's car had been found on Calvert Avenue, Bethnal Green, east London on 3 January, although it is not known how it came to be there.

Det Supt Monk said the force was continuing to try and track down Mr Simpson-Kent.

Image copyright PA Image caption Forensic officers have been conducting searches of the family home in Erith

Image copyright PA Image caption Neighbours described their concern at the continued police presence at the house

Image copyright PA Image caption Police said three bodies were discovered in the garden of the house

Next-door neighbour Sam Sanni-Alashe said: "I am in shock. I know the lady. I see the children playing at the back. I say hello all the time. We are not close but she was a very happy woman.

"This is a disaster and it is awful for the community.

"I would see them most of the time in the summer but I have not seen them for about six weeks," he said.

Neighbour Hannah Cutting, 18, said: "I would see the kids playing at the window then we were worried when police were there 24/7."

As well as EastEnders, Ms Blake also appeared in the 1998 film Siberia and TV movie May 33rd in 2004 under her stage name Syan Blake, according to her IMDB profile.