THE family of a woman thought to be killed by her partner before he hanged himself have paid tribute to the “inspirational” mother of two.

Rosie Mayer, 38, was found dead at a house in Watton-at-Stone on Thursday, along with Mark Barrett, 48.

Miss Mayer died as a result of head and neck injuries, while Mark died from hanging.

In a statement issued through police, Miss Mayer’s family said:

“Rosie was a truly inspirational and influential person who was almost always happy and smiling.

“She was devoted to her family and in particular her children. Rosie took great care in ensuring their lives were enriched as they were growing up. She only wanted the best for them.

“Rosie touched so many people’s lives and had so many friends.

“Both her friends and her family find it unimaginable that she will no longer be with the people she loved and those who loved her.”

Police said that they were treating the incident as “suspicious”, but added that they were not looking for anyone else in relation to the deaths. A spokesman said:

“A line of enquiry at this stage is that one person caused the death of the other, then took their own life.”

Investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Langford of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit said: “This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with Rosie and Mark’s families at this difficult time.

“Our investigations are still ongoing and we are currently liaising with the coroner.

“I would like to confirm that we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this investigation.”