Barry Morrow hires firm, updates Facebook and contacts reporter after being sought over killings of mother and daughter

A man wanted by police in connection with the murder of his landlady and her mother has contacted solicitors.

Barry Morrow, 51, was being sought after Angela Holgate, 54, and Alice Huyton, 75, were found at a house in Southport, Merseyside, on Saturday.

Postmortems have revealed they died of asphyxiation. It is thought Morrow had travelled to France or Spain.

Morrow has made contact with solicitors in his home town, Burnley, and instructed them to act on his behalf.

Keith Rennison, of Donald Race and Newton solicitors, confirmed on Wednesday that he had been asked by Morrow to represent him but would not make any further comment. Merseyside Police are keen to speak to Morrow about the women's deaths.

Although Morrow's Facebook account has been used, it is unclear whether he's been in direct contact with police.

It also emerged on Wednesday that Morrow had contacted a Lancashire Telegraph reporter via Facebook and detectives are likely to examine the messages for any clues about his whereabouts.

At 4.30pm on Tuesday, a message from his account was posted to a journalist at the newspaper saying: "Get stuffed and leave my friends and family alone or I will sue you and your paper."

Later another message was sent, which said: "I have spoken to the police but it is none of your business."

His status was then updated: "To all those who have read the papers and seen the news, must make up their own minds, but 'INNOCENT TILL PROVEN GUILTY' is still the bedrock of our justice system, I apologise to any of my listed friends if they have been hounded by the media, but that's down to the law, as they have allowed access to my account, I have even had journalist trying to add me on here, nothing but a cheep [sic] shot."

Morrow was last seen in Calais on Saturday evening, police said, after apparently driving Holgate's white Citroen, with the registration PN11 RWK.

The victims' family have appealed for Morrow to return to the UK. Jim Huyton, Alice's widower and the father of Holgate, is said to be particularly devastated.

Alice's son John Huyton said on behalf of the family: "Alice Huyton and her daughter, Angela Holgate, were integral cogs in our close-knit family.

"Jim is distraught at the loss of the love of his life, Alice, who was his rock. They had been married for 55 years, having known each other since childhood. Angela was their only daughter.

"We are all bewildered and devastated at the loss of two very special people and are finding it extremely difficult to come to terms with the senseless murders of Alice and Angela, who were much loved.

"We appeal to Barry Morrow to return to the United Kingdom and assist the police with their investigation."