A man called police to tell them he had murdered his girlfriend – then killed himself.

Officers found Lynn Forde, 35, dead in a ground-floor flat in ­Coatbridge on Sunday afternoon.

They began trying to trace her boyfriend, Phil Osborne, and found his body 30 miles away in ­Tillicoultry, ­Clackmannanshire, 24 hours later.

Lynn Forde and Phil Osborne
A 35-year-old woman who was found dead in Coatbridge on Sunday has been named locally as Lynn Forde

A police source said: “The couple had been partners for a long time. It’s a tragic ­situation.

“Police received a call to say a man said his girlfriend was dead and when they asked why he thought that, he confessed to killing her.”

Detectives found Lynn’s body in Greenside Street shortly before 4pm on Sunday.

Police and an ­ambulance called at addresses in ­Tillcoultry, where Osborne was from, and found the 36-year-old’s body just before 3pm on Monday.

Detectives remained at the murder scene in ­Coatbridge where the entrance to the block of flats was cordoned off.

The blinds inside the flat, where Lynn lived and was found dead, remained closed.

Police Scotland at the scene of crime on Greenside street Coatbridge

A number of police ­vehicles were parked nearby as children ­celebrating Halloween knocked on doors.

A man living in an ­adjacent block in the street said Lynn’s parents live nearby. She added: “It will be devastating for them.”

A middle-aged woman who lives nearby said: “They seemed like a quiet couple.”

Last night, at Osborne’s family home in Tillicoultry, his mother Pearl did not want to comment.

A neighbour said: “He was a nice bloke and I’d heard he moved to ­Coatbridge to stay with his girlfriend.”

A friend of the family, who did not wish to be named, said: “Phil always seemed like a friendly guy.

“It’s a shock that ­something like this has happened. He was a plumber and I’d heard the company he worked for recently went bust.”

Police Scotland say inquiries are ongoing

Lynn recently ­advertised a number of bridesmaid dresses for sale on social media, with the comment: “Three times the bridesmaid but never the bride.”

Friends posted tributes to the former St Patrick’s High School pupil online.

Maria McKenna wrote: “Beautiful girl inside and out.”

Police said they are not looking for anyone else.

A spokeswoman added: “Inquiries are ongoing.

“A full report will be forwarded to the ­Procurator Fiscal.”