Mansion millionaire 'killed family'

Ending days of speculation surrounding the fate of Mr Foster and his family, police said the 50-year-old businessman took his own life after setting fire to his £1.2 million home.

Revealing dramatic details of CCTV footage recovered from Osbaston House in Maesbrook, Shropshire, Detective Superintendent Jon Groves said it showed outbuildings ablaze as a figure opened fire on a horsebox which had been used to block the driveway.

Mr Groves told a press conference: "CCTV recovered from the house shows a man, who we strongly believe to be Mr Foster, in the grounds of the property during the early hours with what appears to be a rifle in his hands.

"It also shows outbuildings going up in flames around the same time and a large horsebox being moved down the driveway, in front of the gates to the premises. A man, again believed to be Mr Foster, is seen to get out of the vehicle and apparently shoot out two of the tyres."

Det Supt Groves said officers believed that Mr Foster killed his wife Jill, 49, and their 15-year-old daughter, Kirstie, before setting fire to their mansion. Detectives have established that Mrs Foster died of a gunshot to the head before the fire started, but are still awaiting the results of a post-mortem on a body thought to be that of Kirstie.

Mr Groves declined to answer questions about a number of aspects of the inquiry, including the state of mind of Mr Foster at the time of the killings. The officer also refused to discuss the millionaire's financial affairs or whether bailiffs were due to call at his home on August 26.

Emergency services called to the property at about 4am on August 26 found three horses and four dogs which had been shot dead. Subsequent searches of the house led to the discovery of a .22 rifle, which was legitimately owned by Mr Foster, near his body and that of his wife.

Det Supt Groves, the senior investigating officer, told the press conference at a hotel in Shrewsbury that police were not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.

"We believe that Mr Foster killed his wife and daughter before setting the fires which destroyed his home and many of its outbuildings in the early hours of Tuesday. We believe Mr Foster took his own life after setting the house alight."