The inquests into the deaths of a man who murdered his wife, then shot himself will not be held until later this week.

The hearings are not expected to be opened until Thursday or Friday.

The Oxfordshire coroner has delayed the opening to allow families of the dead couple more time to formally identify the bodies.

The murdered woman had shared a home with her husband in Norfolk before moving to Oxford.

The 33-year-old mother, who was shot to death with a shotgun on Friday in Kiln Lane, Risinghurst, was Phillipa Shephard. She was killed by her husband Shane Marklew, also 33, following an argument. Mr Marklew then turned the gun on himself.

The incident was witnessed by their two boys, aged three years and 18 months, shortly before 3pm. Their other child, a five-year-old girl, was not at the scene.

The couple had been living together in Ipswich Road, Pulham Market, near Diss, in Norfolk, before Ms Shephard moved to Oxford.

Her parents live in Netherwoods Road, around the corner from where the fatal shootings took place. They were not prepared to comment.

Mr Marklew's family were not prepared to comment from their home in Brockdish, near Diss.

Police have refused to formally release the names of the deceased couple at the families' request until the inquests are opened, although police did confirm the woman was from Oxford and the man from Norfolk.

Post mortem examinations confirmed they both died from gunshot wounds to the head.