Oswestry father Hugh McFall was in the midst of expanding his business when he killed his wife and daughter, according to fellow traders.

The 48-year-old florist was in the middle of moving his Growing Places business from a small lock-up at Bank Top Industrial Estate near St Martins to a larger one at St Martins Business Park in the centre of the village.

According to fellow traders the move to the prime village centre site was a signal Mr McFall, who killed his wife Sue, 56, and their 18-year-old daughter Frankie at their Hampton Road home in Oswestry before killing himself, was trying to expand his business and was not in financial difficulty.

Mr McFall was found hanged at the lock up on St Martins Business Park on Friday just hours after the bodies of his wife and daughter were discovered.

Police are believed to be looking into Mr McFall’s business affairs as part of the investigation into what triggered the murders. It is understood Mr McFall lost a contract to supply a major customer in the days before the tragedy.

Ben Lloyd, who works at a car repair workshop next to Mr McFall’s Bank Top premises, said he was shocked by the deaths. He said: “He was a decent bloke, to be fair. One of my friends was really good friends with him.

“He was just normal the last time I saw him and did not look worried or anything. He seemed to be fine and never mentioned anything about money.

“On the face of it, I would not have thought he would have any financial troubles. He drove a Freelander and his wife and daughter had new cars. I thought he was doing very well in fact.”

Another trader on the Bank Top Industrial Estate, who preferred not to named, said: “I thought he was on the way up.”