Hammer and knife used to kill Guiseppe and Caterina Massaro

An elderly couple found murdered in the bedroom of their Wolverhampton house had been stabbed and beaten with a knife and a hammer, detectives revealed today.

Guiseppe and Caterina Massaro died of multiple injuries after what police called a "sustained and brutal attack".

Officers, who have been taken aback by the ferocity of the violence, today said they believed they had recovered the weapons used from the scene of the ransacked house in Woden Road, Heath Town.

They also revealed Mr Massaro, who was due to become a great-grandfather in the summer, had tried to fend off his attackers and suffered defensive wounds.

Three of their grandchildren, Lindsey Booth, 23, her brother Richard, 22, and their cousin Rosa Carella, 28, attended a press conference today and described their grandparents as beautiful and caring.

Supt Mark Payne, of Wolverhampton Police, said he was pleased with the response from the public.

He added: "I'd like people to think about where they were on the evening of Thursday into Friday and if they were in Woden Road, a popular cut through, to think about whether they saw any suspicious activity."

Three men, two from Wolverhampton, aged 32 and 21, and one from Birmingham, 30, were in custody on suspicion of murder.

Two TVs, one worth just £40, were stolen, along with a Peugeot 307, which was recovered. Anyone offered them for sale was urged to come forward and will not be treated as a suspect.

Lindsey Booth found her 80-year-old grandfather and 77-year-old grandmother dead at the house on Friday.

The break-in took place on Thursday night.