Father held for murder in Italy as bodies of two young boys are found at bottom of 60ft well

The brothers, aged 12 and 14, are thought to have survived being thrown into the well before suffering a "slow and terrible death".

They were found curled up in the foetal position, one with his thumb in his mouth.

Scroll down for more ...

The bodies were discovered by chance after another boy fell into the well while playing football nearby.

Firemen were called to rescue the trapped 13-year-old on Monday night at Gravina in Puglia near Bari, southern Italy.

During the rescue operation, they discovered the remains of Francesco Pappalardi, 12, and his brother Salvatore, 14, who vanished from their home in June 2006.

Their father Filippo has been in custody since November, charged with their murder.

Scroll down for more ...

The brothers were last seen playing in the street outside their home in Gravina.

Last night their mother Rosa was being comforted by relatives and friends.

Shortly before the bodies were identified, she said at the spot: "It's them - I know it's them, I have no doubt.

"A year ago I had a dream that they were down a well but I never thought they would be this close. For me my life is now over."

Emergency services were called to the well after a boy named only as Michele fell into the well while playing football with friends.

It took two hours for firemen to rescue him. He suffered two broken legs in the fall.

They discovered the boys after they went back down the well to shore it up and make it safe.

The remains of the boys had fragments of clothing which were similar to the items worn by the two brothers when they disappeared.

Scroll down for more ...

Bari's police chief Vincenzo Maria Speranza said: "What we need to establish now is did they fall down the well, were they pushed down there or were they dumped there already dead?

"In order to do that we will need to carry out extensive tests. One thing is certain though.

"If it had not been for the boy falling down the well they would never have been found."

The bodies were not at the foot of the well but at the sides, where it widened at the bottom. They were 15 metres apart.

"We think that these two tragic boys were alive when they were thrown into the well," said one officer. They are not close together as you would expect if they were thrown in together.

"But also most importantly and more tragic is that they were found curled up in a foetal position, one with his thumb in his mouth.

"That suggests it is very likely that they were both alive for a while in the well before they died."