The bodies of five dead babies have been found hidden in a house in France - four in the freezer and one in a portable cooler . Police made the macabre discovery after a 40-year-old father called them at 7am in the town of Louchats , in the south west , close to Bordeaux . In what is believed to be the worst case of infanticide in the country this century , the farmer first of all said he had found a tiny body in the thermally insulated container , one normally used to keep cold drinks . Police officers enter the home where the bodies of five babies were discovered in France . Officers searched the premises , and found four more babies in a large freezer regularly used by the family . The man 's wife was immediately sedated and rushed to hospital , while the husband , who is a farmer , was arrested so he could be questioned at length . Neither has yet been identified . 'The first body was a newborn , ' said a source close to the investigation which has been opened into the horrific case . It is believed that the woman had 'secretly given birth , within the last 48 hours ' , without telling anybody . The husband was said to be 'absolutely devastated and shaking uncontrollably ' when the discoveries were made . The couple have two daughters , aged 13 and 15 , who were thought to have been present when the first body was discovered . They are now in the care of the police , supported by social workers . There will be DNA tests to confirm the children 's parentage . Locals who had seen the woman recently said there were no signs that she was pregnant . And a relative of the father said that he was not aware either and was in a state of complete shock at the discovery of the dead babies . The town 's mayor Philip Carreyre , who went with police to the scene , said : ' I will not say anything about this . The only thing I can point out is that these are good people perfectly integrated in the town . ' The father runs a small business maintaining gardens . Police were called to the address ( pictured ) after the 40-year-old father called them about 7am . Officers searched the premises , and found four more babies in a large freezer regularly used by the family . Pathologists need to establish whether the babies , all apparently self-delivered in secret , were stillborn or died soon after birth . The first baby found in a cool bag was 'viable ' ( capable of life ) it was revealed tonight . Deputy Prosecutor in the High Court of Bordeaux , Anne Kayanakis , told a press conference : 'It is not yet possible to say whether this was a full term birth . Further analysis is needed to determine the cause of death . ' Post mortems on the four other newborns discovered in a freezer will take place tomorrow . Depending on the results prosecutors will determine the nature of any criminal charges . 'Nothing has been established , ' said Kayanakis . 'This is a particularly heavy and delicate investigation and a highly serious matter . ' She said biological and genetic analysis was on going to determine the relationship of the babies in the case . But she said , the mother had immediately admitted to police giving birth to the child two days before he was found . She had now been placed in a psychiatric hospital . The tragedy , in Louchats , France , is believed to be the worst case of infanticide in the country this century . Meanwhile In Louchats , villagers were still in shock at the news that has unfolded . The couple and their two daughters were described as 'just a normal family . ' Said one resident : 'Knowing them it is just unbelievable . They are discreet people who never posed any problems . Just people who get up every morning and go to work . 'We 're all just stunned . ' The bodies of five dead babies have been found hidden in a house in Louchats ( shown in this file picture ) in south west France . France has a sinister history of dead babies being found in freezers . In 2013 a 32-year-old waitress from Amberieu- en-Bugey , in the east of the country , admitted drowning her two newborns and placing their bodies in one . She had previous convictions for similar crimes and was sentenced to 15 years for infanticide . Her mother , who had helped her in the crimes , got an 18 year sentence . In November 2012 a three-month-old boy and a five-year-old girl were found dead in a freezer in Vienne , Isere . The mother was also found dead , while the father fled to Tunisia . And in March 2003 police in Tinteniac , Brittany , found the body of a new-born baby in a freezer and the remains of three other children buried in the garden of the house . The mother was later given a 15-year prison sentence . Such cases are often linked to 'pregnancy denial ' , where women refuse to accept that they are in fact pregnant .
Four bodies found in freezer and one in portable cooler in French home . Discovery made in town of Bordeaux in the south west close to Louchats . Police called after a 40-year-old father called them at 7am on Thursday . It is believed to be the worst case of infanticide in the country this century .