Village mourns 'reclusive' sisters

Mrs Gardner had shared a house with her sister and husband until his death just over a year ago.

Inquiries are continuing after the bodies of elderly twin sisters were found at a south Wales beauty spot.

Notes were found with the bodies of the two widows on Friday and police have said they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

Margaret Edwards and Anne Gardner, who were 73, were from the village of Llanblethian in the Vale of Glamorgan.

The bodies of the pair were discovered together at Rest Bay.

Canon Derek Belcher, the rector of Cowbridge, lived in the same village as the sisters, and told BBC Radio Wales on Monday of the "great sense of tragedy and loss" in the community.

"People are very saddened by the news," he told Good Morning Wales.

"There is a great deal of sympathy and warmth from the community for the family who are left.

Canon Belcher said the twins were very private but were known to neighbours.

"They (the sisters) had been quite reclusive in their own lives but nevertheless part of the community."

Canon Belcher said it was too early to say exactly what had happened to the pair, who had shared the same house in the village for many years.

"Twenty years ago, Margaret married John, but just over a year ago he died and the twins were never the same again and were deeply affected by that."

He added: "It's difficult to say without knowing all the details, but certainly with twins the closeness must be an important factor."

South Wales Police said they were not treating the deaths as suspicious and described it was a "tragic incident."

Their next of kin and the coroner has been informed and an inquest will be opened this week.

The sisters' bodies have been taken to the Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend.