A husband and wife have become the first British couple to commit suicide at voluntary euthanasia clinic in Switzerland.

Peter Duff, 80, and his wife Penelope, 70, from Bath, Somerset were both suffering from advanced terminal cancer when they decided to end their lives at the Dignitas clinic in Zurich.

In a brief statement produced last night, the family said they died peacefully and together.

The Duffs had told friends they were moving out of their £2m Georgian home to spend their final years in their second home in Dorset.

But it has now been revealed that they had quietly travelled to the controversial centre in Switzerland where they were both helped to die.

Mr Duff a patron of the Bath Festival, was suffering from colon and liver cancer and his wife had been suffering from another rare form of the disease, Gist (gastrointestinal stromal tumour) since 1992.

It is understood that Mrs Duff who had battled cancer for many years, was given the all-clear recently - but suffered a severe relapse.

Mr Duff, who was considered one of Britain's leading experts on wine and alcohol and founded the Wine Guild of the United Kingdom, had been caring for his wife until he, too, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of the disease. He had been chairman of Alcohol In Moderation since March 2001.

The couple who travelled to the clinic together died on February 27, their daughter said.

A family statement said: "Peter and Penny Duff passed away peacefully together in Zurich after a long battle against their terminal cancer on February 27. Penny had fought a rare cancer, Gist, since 1992 and Peter's colon cancer had spread to his liver.

"Their decision in no way reflected on the wonderful and humbling care they have received from their consultant, doctors and nurses, for which the family, and they, were so appreciative."

A total of 100 Britons are said to have been helped to die by the centre for assisted suicide in Switzerland.

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