A RETIRED British couple who attempted to take their own lives have been extradited to the US to face fraud charges, Scotland Yard said.

Grandparents Paul and Sandra Dunham were handed over to US Marshals at Heathrow Terminal Four by officers from the Metropolitan Police's Extradition Unit and left on a flight that departed around 2.15pm.

The couple, both 58, were taken to hospital last Thursday after they took a drug overdose the night before they were due to hand themselves in to police and in turn to US marshals.

The Dunhams were remanded in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court last Friday after Senior District Judge Howard Riddle concluded they had taken the drugs deliberately to avoid or delay their extradition to face fraud charges.

The couple lost a High Court battle last month against extradition to stand trial over fraud charges relating to Mr Dunham's company, Pace.