A man and a woman have been charged with murder following reports of a fire at a house in Southfields.

Police were called to Wimbledon Park Road, on Wednesday, September 22, where they found a body that was too badly burned for even age or gender to be identified.

Ouissem Medouni, 40, and Sabrina Kouider, 34, both of Pulborough Road, have been charged with murder and will appear in Wimbledon Magistrates' Court today.

The victim has been named locally as French nanny Sophie Lionnet, who is said to have worked with Kouider.

A friend told the Daily Mail that Ms Lionnet had come to London to learn English but found it difficult living here, saying: "Sophie had been unhappy for a long time, so unhappy she left to stay with one of her few friends for two nights last month.

"She had finally decided to go home though, and had just asked her mum to send her £40 so she could afford the fare.

"She was supposed to have gone back on Monday. She never arrived."

Detective inspector Richard Leonard, said: “A badly burned body has been found in the rear garden of this residential address. We are doing everything we can to identify the deceased.

“A post-mortem examination will establish how they died. Early indications are that attempts were made to dispose of the body.”