A 52-year-old man has been charged with the murders of a mother and her two young children in Kettering, Northamptonshire, police have said.

Officers arrested Saju Chelavalel after they were called to his address in Petherton Court on Thursday and found Anju Asok, 35, Jeeva Saju, six, and Janvi Saju, four, with serious injuries.

Ms Asok died at the scene despite treatment from paramedics, and her two children died later in hospital.

Post-mortem examinations concluded all three died as a result of asphyxiation.

Mr Chelavalel will appear at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Ms Asok was a staff nurse at Kettering General Hospital and the hospital’s chief executive Deborah Needham described her as “a committed and compassionate staff nurse, who was loved and respected by her dear friends and colleagues”.

“All our thoughts are with her friends and family as they come to terms with this sudden loss.”

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Simon Barnes, said: “Our thoughts continue to be with the family of Anju, Jeeva and Janvi, who we are determined to seek justice for.

“Incidents of this nature are incredibly distressing, and I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who responded to the 999 call on Thursday, or has been involved with the subsequent investigation, for the professionalism and respect they have shown.

“I also want to thank the local community as we know how upsetting it is for an incident of this nature to take place. We will continue to have members of our Neighbourhood Policing Team on patrol in the area and I urge anyone with any concerns to please speak to them.”