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A beauty queen wife and her husband were gunned down in front of their five-year-old daughter during a roadside robbery in Venezuela, media in the South American country have reported.

Thomas Henry Berry, 39, and his wife Monica Spear Mootz, 29, were murdered last night on the Puerto-Cabello - Valencia highway by armed raiders.

The man, a British national, was originally thought to be Irish.

They were held up after their car broke down. Their bodies were discovered in the vehicle.

They have also claimed that the couple's five-year-old daughter was injured in the leg and is now under police protection while being treated for her injuries.

Ms Spear Mootz was crowned Miss Venezuela in 2004 and later went on to become an actress.

Media in Venezuela are reporting that the couple were separated.

Mr Berry's Facebook page says that he is from London.

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Tributes poured into Ms Spear Mootz' Instagram account today after news of her murder broke, with fans describing how unfair life was and expressing their sympathy to her and her family.

She posted the video below just six hours before she was gunned down at 10pm, local time in Venezuela.

Showbiz colleagues were also devastated.

"I’m so sad for my Venezuela, my condolences for Monica Spear’s family. Rage and impotence are what I feel right now," wrote Venezuelan salsa singer Oscar D’Leon on Twitter.

President Nicolas Maduro has declared beating violent crime his No. 1 priority, and polls consistently show it to be Venezuelans’ main concern.

But opponents say the government’s anti-crime plans are not tackling root causes, such as impunity for criminals, corrupt courts and police complicity in some crime.