A former Olympic British diver was found shot dead with his wife in a villa near Benidorm, Spanish police said.
The expats were named by Spanish police as Peter and Jean Tarsey, both 77.
They are said to have been "locked in each other's arms" when they were found dead in the town of Xalo at around 4pm on Sunday.
A Guardia Civil spokeswoman said: "At around 4.15pm yesterday, some friends of the couple went to their villa because they had not been seen for a few days.
"They found the door was open and there were no signs of a break-in.
"The couple, who had been living in Spain for 18 years, were found dead with gunshot wounds on the sofa.
"The Guardia Civil is now awaiting the results of post-mortem examinations and investigations continue."
Sky News reported that police were treating their deaths as murder.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We can confirm the death of two British Nationals in Alicante, Spain. We stand ready to provide consular assistance."
Mr Tarsey is a former Olympic diver and competed in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics for Great Britain.
