Neighbours heard screams as Dominic Paterson, 21, and his 25-year-old friend Colin Campbell were discovered at the Blantyre home by one of their mothers.

The deaths are not being treated as suspicious but are "unexplained" and detectives are waiting for results of post mortem examinations, thought to have been carried out yesterday.

As reported in later editions of last night's Evening Times, Strathclyde Police were called to the property in Murray Crescent at about 6.10pm on Monday.

They found the bodies of Dominic, known as Dom to his pals, who lived at the house, and his older friend, Colin.

Two ambulances were also called but paramedics were too late to do anything to help the two men.

Local residents said they heard a woman screaming hysterically in the house after the mother of one of the boys arrived home shortly after 6pm.

Meanwhile, friends of the two young men have taken to social networking sites to express shock at their loss.

Last night Facebook pages were flooded with tributes to the two men, who had both been pupils at Holy Cross High School in Hamilton.

Pal William McDade wrote: "R.I.P. bro,gone but never forgotten! Xxx" while Louise McInulty said: "Thoughts and prayers with all u guys today x".

Miller Armstrong wrote under a new photograph of Colin: "A nice fella – what a waste!"

The principal of Motherwell College, where Dom was studying for an HNC in Mechanical Engineering, also spoke of the loss.

Hugh Logan said: "Everyone at Motherwell College is saddened to hear this dreadful news and our thoughts are with his family and friends."

Neighbours expressed shock at the deaths and said the area, populated by families, was normally very quiet.

catriona.stewart @eveningtimes.co.uk