In France’s worst ever case of infanticide, Dominique Cottrez appeared before a judge this morning along with her husband, local councillor Pierre-Marie Cottrez.

The two were arrested after police discovered the bodies of eight new-born babies at two properties in Villers-au-Tertre, a village near Lille in northern France.

Eric Vaillant, the prosecutor of Douai, said he had requested Mr Cottrez be charged with the failure to report a crime and the concealment of a body.

According to multiple sources, his wife has admitted to killing her babies but told police her husband had no idea of her actions.

The discovery of the eight corpses on Tuesday has caused shock and disbelief for the inhabitants of Villers-au-Tertre, the small village where the Cottrez couple have lived for decades.

"Pierre-Marie is a very nice guy. I am just overwhelmed and I'm finding it impossible to understand," said one villager, who did not want his name to be published.

"He's a mate of mine. We used to have a drink, talk about work … He is very generous. He wears his heart on his sleeve," he said, adding: "I see no reason why he would have known anything about this."

The alleged murders came to light on Saturday, when the owners of a house that had been the property of Dominique Cottrez's parents, now deceased, discovered the bones of two newborns in the garden.

The investigation led quickly to the couple's current home, half a mile away, where police found six other bodies. Even today, teams of investigators and forensic experts from Douai, Paris and Lille are combing the sites for other bodies.

Village mayor Patrick Mercier said a third house in which the couple had briefly lived was also being explored.

Speaking to local media, he described Pierre-Marie Cottrez as a third-term municipal councillor who was "respectable and respected".

Mrs Cottrez is a lifelong inhabitant of the village. She worked as a nursing auxiliary in the north-eastern city of Douai.

Villagers described her as a "devoted" daughter who cared for her father until his death.