Egyptian police arrested a worker from Egypt's second city Alexandria on Thursday, saying he confessed to the murder of his three children, aged five, seven and 12 and the attempted murder of his wife, reported Al-Ahram's Arabic news website.

After a complaint by neighbours of a domestic disturbance, policemen arrived at the house and found the three children and mother bound by rope and battered in their home in Alexandria's Ezbet El-Qalaa low-income suburb. The police accused the husband of murder after investigations, saying he carried out the act after suspicions concerning the fidelity of his wife.

The wife, 45, said the accused, 37, is not mentally stable and takes "pills" regularly.

The police then arrested the accused worker and referred the case to prosecutors. The murder weapon -- a wooden plank and the ropes used to restrain the victims -- were taken as evidence.