Murder investigation launched after woman's body found at a property in High Beeches, Gerrards Cross

A wealthy family was today embroiled in a murder investigation after a woman's body was found at one of their million pound south Bucks homes.

Detectives sealed off a large detached country house in Gerrards Cross as they confirmed that they were treating the death of a young woman aged in her 30s, who was found dead inside it, as murder.

The £1 million home belongs to the wealthy Matharu family, who run a car leasing business from another property, valued at £2 million, about 20 minutes away from the murder scene, in Denham.

An adjoining bungalow was built for the firm's employees who lived there.

Neighbours said that both homes were owned by the Matharu family.

The 58-year-old father is understood to be a company director, named locally as Harcharanjit, and at least two of his daughters were understood to be lawyers.

Paramedics were called to the home in High Beeches – where the family currently lives - on Monday evening after a neighbour heard a loud scream.

Two rapid response cars, an ambulance crew and an ambulance officer, worked on the young woman at the house, trying to save her life, for almost an hour before they confirmed that she was dead and called the police.

Officers arrived at the house early on Monday evening and began an investigation into the death.

However, it was not until last night - three days later - that they launched a murder investigation, having received a report of a post mortem examination carried out by a Home Office pathologist.

Today officers were refusing to reveal details of the woman or to give details of the autopsy results.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police confirmed that officers from the force's Major Crime Team had been called in to investigate the murder and that a 58-year-old man had been arrested.

It was understood that he was detained on Thursday evening and was being held in police cells today.

Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Simon Steel, of the Major Crime Unit, said: "We have launched a murder investigation and we are appealing for anyone with information regarding this incident to come forward.”

One neighbour living near to the murder scene, who did not want to be named, said: "I didn't know the people who lived there but I heard a scream at around 5pm on the Monday.

"I am very shocked, this is a lovely quiet neighbourhood so you don't expect something like this to happen here."

The house at the centre of the murder investigation has a reception hall, three reception rooms, a kitchen, a utility room, cloakroom and five bedrooms, three with en-suite bathrooms and a study.

There is a further bedroom with dressing area on the second floor. Outside a block paved driveway leads to a single garage with secluded gardens to the rear.

A spokesman for the South Central Ambulance Service said: "We were called to at 16.58pm to reports of a patient in a life-threatening condition.

"We sent two rapid response vehicles, an ambulance crew and an ambulance officer. They were assessing a woman in her 30s and sadly they confirmed one patient was dead at the scene."

One neighbour said he was stunned when he and his brother took their pet dog out for a walk to find several police cars parked outside the house and forensics teams walking in and out wearing Hazmat suits.

The man said: "I was walking with my brother and as we came back past we saw people dressed in those forensics suits walking in and out of the house.

“You don't often see police in this area, I have only been living here for two years but I used to live in a really run-down area, I was really surprised to see the police.”

Neighbours living near the family's car leasing business in nearby Denham, said that Matharu family owned the £2million pound gated house and the adjoining staff bungalow.

Gerrards Cross Town Council chairman Chris Brown called the incident "awful" and said people in the street need to "pull together" and "keep vigilant".

He said: "It is a lovely neighbourhood. It is shocking that something like this could happen in a place like this.

"It is important for the community watchdog to keep an eye out for things and for people to pull together.

"People have to be on their guard there and keep vigilant. You can't be too careful."

Call police on 101 if you have any information, or speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Did you know the woman? Let us know by emailing shruti.sheth@london.newsquest.co.uk.