Police had "previous contact" with a mother and her estranged husband before she allegedly murdered her two young children, it has been revealed.

Officers refused to divulge the nature of, or when they had, dealings with Fiona and Paul Donnison but said it would be reviewed to help their inquiries.

Neighbours said the couple were living together in Heathfield, East Sussex, until they separated and their house was put up for sale before Christmas.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "We are aware of previous contact with police in relation to this family.

"This will be reviewed, in liaison with appropriate agencies, as a matter of standard procedure and also in order to help inform the current police inquiry. We cannot release further information at this time as it could prejudice the investigation."

An Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) spokesman said the force had not referred any matter to it relating to the case.

Detectives are still waiting to question former City worker Mrs Donnison, 43, over the murders of her young son and daughter. She was arrested after she went to Heathfield police station on Wednesday morning in a distressed state to ask officers to search her car.

When police forced entry to her silver Nissan in Mill Close, they found the bodies of three-year-old Harry and two-year-old Elise in two large holdalls in the boot.

Post-mortem examinations are due to take place at King's College Hospital, London, to determine their cause of death.

Their mother, from Surrey but with local connections, was in a stable condition at Eastbourne District General Hospital with "apparent self-harm injuries". She is not expected to be discharged until late on Thursday or on Friday.