An alleged burglar was shot dead by a pensioner and his younger sister after 'trying to break into their isolated caravan'. The man, aged in his 40s, was found dead by police in woodland in Berkshire near Heathrow Airport at around 3.30am today. A man in his 70s and a woman in her 50s were arrested on suspicion of murder at the scene by Thames Valley Police. They have been named locally as siblings Reuben Gregory, aged in his 70s, and sister Cathy, who is in her 50s, and both are said to live in a mobile home in the woodland. An accomplice to the 'burglary' is also understood to have been shot and was rushed to hospital. A witness said the Gregorys called the emergency services and remained at the scene until the police arrived. The fatal shooting happened in woods off the busy A4 Colnbrook bypass near Slough, Berkshire, where the Gregorys had lived for years and looked after horses in a nearby field for a friend. Detectives from the Thames Valley Major Crime Team sealed off the scene, near a lay-by, and erected a tent in the woodland near the Gregorys' caravan. Armed police were also on guard at the cordon. Detective Chief Superintendent Chris Ward, the head of the force's CID, confirmed that the incident was being treated as murder and that two people remained in custody. Speaking at the scene which is only a short distance from Heathrow Airport, a cousin of the Gregorys said that she was very upset that Reuben and Cathy had been arrested and was adamant that they were innocent. The cousin, who asked not to be named, said: 'Reuben is more than 70 years old and he and Cathy are very inoffensive people with no police records. Years ago they were robbed, everything was taken from them, all their possessions. 'It was about 30 years ago that they were robbed, tied up and beaten. Everything they owned was gone. 'They are innocent people with no records, they are very inoffensive. They have lived there in the caravan all their lives. Their mother lived there before she died. They are not anyone who would hurt anything. 'This life is all they've known. We've tried getting them into a flat or something but they don't want to, this is all they know. My sister says 'why do they live that life? It's terrible', but it's all they know. 'Neither of them ever had kids and neither of them ever married. It's just them, brother and sister.' A local man who kept horses in the area near the shooting said that he knew the two people who had been arrested because they kept an eye on his horses. He said: 'They are brother and sister and live in a caravan with no electricity and have lived there for 60 years. They don't trouble anybody, I have only seen them go out when they go to the shops. 'They don't go to the pub, they don't have meals out, they are nice people who wouldn't harm anyone.' The two suspects were taken to cells at Slough Police Station where they were expected to be questioned about the killing later. A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said that the shooting happened alongside the busy A4 Colnbrook bypass which leads to hotels and car parks adjacent to Heathrow Airport. 'Thames Valley Police has launched a murder investigation following the death of a man near Slough earlier today. Officers were called to an address near the Colnbrook bypass at 3.23am to reports that a man had been shot,' said the spokesman. 'Emergency services attended the scene including armed officers and discovered a man in his 40s who was declared dead at scene. 'Two people, a man in his 70s and a woman in her 50s, were arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and are currently in police custody. Senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Superintendent Chris Ward said: 'I would like to reassure local residents that police officers will be in the area for some time as we carry out our investigation into what we are treating, at this stage, as an isolated incident. 'If any residents have concerns about the incident please speak to a police officer. 'I would ask anyone who may have any information about the incident, perhaps you saw or heard something unusual in the early hours of this morning in the area of Colnbrook please contact police. 'I must stress that this incident is not being treated as related to terrorism and there is no threat to the wider public.'
