A woman found dead on the Norfolk Broads at the weekend was probably strangled and died before she entered the water, police said this evening.

Officers are treating the death of the woman as suspicious, but not the death of the man, following post mortem examinations carried out this afternoon.

The results, released by police this evening, showed that the woman had died before entering the water and that the likely cause of death was strangulation. The man is believed to have died through drowning.

The bodies of the man and woman, both thought to be aged in their 40s and believed to be from Surrey area, were discovered in water yesterday afternoon by divers close to where the boat containing a 13-year-old girl was discovered. Police began a search for the boat, which was discovered tied to a tree at Salhouse Little Broad, after was not returned at the end of its hire period.

Formal identification of the man and woman has not taken place, and police said the woman requires forensic identification procedures which could take up to 48 hours. The formal identification for the man will not take place until tomorrow.

Officers continue to examine the boat where the teenage girl was found on Saturday.

Detective superintendent Jes Fry, of the joint Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team, who is overseeing the investigation, said the team's priority remained for the welfare of the girl and her family.

He added: 'We are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident. Both deaths will now be referred to the coroner and a file will be prepared for the inquest.'