POLICE are treating the death of a woman in the village of Heiton near Kelso on Boxing Day as murder.

Pauline Cockburn's body, along with the body of Kevin Armstrong, was discovered on Tuesday afternoon within a property at Ladyrig View.

Following a post mortem examination officers have confirmed the 48-year-old woman's death is being treated as murder.

A post mortem examination has also been carried out into the death of the 52-year-old man, which is not being treated as suspicious.

Detective Chief Inspector Keith Hardie of the Major Investigation Team, who is leading the investigation, said: "Pauline was tragically taken from her family and friends at what should be a happy and joyous time of year.

"I can only imagine that the circumstances make this even more heartbreaking and my thoughts are with them as they try to come to terms with their loss.

"Our investigation into her death is ongoing and, whilst we are not looking for anyone else, there are still lines of inquiry to follow up to ensure we know as much as we can about what happened.

“This incident has put a small, quiet area of the Scottish Borders in the spotlight and I would respectfully request that the families and friends of those involved, and the local communities, can be given the time and the space to be able to grieve and remember.”