A man has been taken into custody as part of an investigation into the deaths of a retired British couple in Jamaica.

Charlie and Gayle Anderson, 74 and 71 respectively, were found dead in their home in Portland, on the north-east coast of the island, on Saturday.

In a statement released on Twitter, the Jamaica constabulary force said: “One man has been taken into custody as the detectives from the Criminal Investigation Branch Headquarters (CIB HQ) and the Maj Invest Division intensify the investigation into the death of the retired couple.

“The man, who is considered a person of interest in the matter, was picked up on Saturday afternoon at a business establishment in Kingston.”

The couple, who were also known as Halford and Florence and had been married for 55 years, were found by neighbours in their home in a rural community in Hope Bay.

They had moved from Manchester a year ago to live in Jamaica, where Charlie Anderson, a builder, was born. The couple sold their house and used savings to fund their retirement, friends said.

A statement from their sons released by the Foreign Office said: “Our parents … were hardworking people, building a business with integrity and making sure we were always provided for.



“Charlie and Gayle were pillars of the community in Manchester and Jamaica, and were hugely popular and loved by many.”



A Manchester former neighbour, Kishore Singh, 51, said “they were two of the most beautiful people in the world. Charlie was like a father to me.”



He said the Andersons, who had lived in Manchester for decades, had returned the UK recently after falling victim to credit card fraud.