First picture of father who killed two young daughters

This is the first picture of the father who killed his two young daughters before hanging himself.

The man, named as 32-yearold David Cass, is understood to have smothered the children, aged one and three, before killing himself inside a garage where he worked.

The girls were on a weekend custody visit. They were found dead inside their father's caravan yesterday evening minutes after the mother called 999 frantically trying to stop the tragedy. Police sources the mechanic had been living alone in the caravan on the site of the garage where he worked as an MOT tester since his marriage got into difficulties.

He quit his job of four years at Paynes Road Car Sales, in the Shirley area of Southampton, on Friday.

Mr Cass was due to return his children to his wife last night but phoned her and threatened to kill them, saying: "I can't live without them." She tried to alert police but the bodies were found shortly afterwards. Mr Cass's ex-boss John Martin said: "He said to me he was going away and he had a plan. I said 'Don't do anything stupid'."

Police and forensic experts were at the scene today. A spokesman said: "Officers are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths and are now tracing and informing next of kin." Post-mortem examinations were to be carried out today. George Taylor, 55, who lives near the garage, said: "It is just a sad world we live in. It is just terrible."