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| Students stabbed and set alight | Students stabbed and set alight |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Two French research students found stabbed to death following a flat fire had been tied up and suffered horrific, excessive injuries, police have said. | |
| The bodies of Laurent Bonomo, 23, and Gabriel Ferez, 23, were found in a ground-floor flat in New Cross, south-east London, on Sunday night. | The bodies of Laurent Bonomo, 23, and Gabriel Ferez, 23, were found in a ground-floor flat in New Cross, south-east London, on Sunday night. |
| Police said they had suffered head, neck and chest injuries in a "frenzied" attack before being set alight. | Police said they had suffered head, neck and chest injuries in a "frenzied" attack before being set alight. |
| The bio-engineers had been at Imperial College for two months. | The bio-engineers had been at Imperial College for two months. |
| Det Ch Insp Mick Duthie said he had no idea why the students were killed. I have never seen injuries like this throughout my career Det Ch Insp Mick Duthie | Det Ch Insp Mick Duthie said he had no idea why the students were killed. I have never seen injuries like this throughout my career Det Ch Insp Mick Duthie |
| Speaking at a news conference at Scotland Yard, he said the flat had been broken into six days before and a laptop had been stolen. | Speaking at a news conference at Scotland Yard, he said the flat had been broken into six days before and a laptop had been stolen. |
| He also said a white male was seen running from the scene of the fire, but police have not ruled out the possibility others might have been involved in the murders. | He also said a white male was seen running from the scene of the fire, but police have not ruled out the possibility others might have been involved in the murders. |
| Mr Duthie said one line of inquiry was that the attack was a case of mistaken identity. "We cannot find anything in these two young men's background to suggest they were involved in any criminality, that they had done anything wrong," he said. | Mr Duthie said one line of inquiry was that the attack was a case of mistaken identity. "We cannot find anything in these two young men's background to suggest they were involved in any criminality, that they had done anything wrong," he said. |
| Student deaths news conference | Student deaths news conference |
| Mr Duthie said both victims had been bound and had suffered repeated stab wounds across their bodies. | Mr Duthie said both victims had been bound and had suffered repeated stab wounds across their bodies. |
| "The extent of the injuries are horrific. Everyone working on this case, including myself, has been deeply shocked by what we have seen. | "The extent of the injuries are horrific. Everyone working on this case, including myself, has been deeply shocked by what we have seen. |
| "I have never seen injuries like this throughout my career. | "I have never seen injuries like this throughout my career. |
| "I would not say this was a professional attack. I would say it was a frenzied, horrible, horrific attack. | "I would not say this was a professional attack. I would say it was a frenzied, horrible, horrific attack. |
| "I imagine it would take some considerable amount of time to inflict the nature of the injuries." | "I imagine it would take some considerable amount of time to inflict the nature of the injuries." |
| The detective said no weapon has been recovered during extensive searches in the area and that they are studying some "limited" CCTV footage.The two bodies were found in the ground-floor flat | The detective said no weapon has been recovered during extensive searches in the area and that they are studying some "limited" CCTV footage.The two bodies were found in the ground-floor flat |
| Mr Duthie said the students had been in London since the beginning of May and were due to return to France at the end of July. | Mr Duthie said the students had been in London since the beginning of May and were due to return to France at the end of July. |
| Imperial College's Rector, Sir Roy Anderson, said: "Laurent and Gabriel had bright futures ahead of them and it is dreadful that their lives should end so soon." | Imperial College's Rector, Sir Roy Anderson, said: "Laurent and Gabriel had bright futures ahead of them and it is dreadful that their lives should end so soon." |
| The emergency services were called after residents reported an explosion in Sterling Gardens on Sunday night. | The emergency services were called after residents reported an explosion in Sterling Gardens on Sunday night. |
| Mr Ferez, who lived at another south London address, was visiting his close friend Mr Bonomo when the attack took place. | Mr Ferez, who lived at another south London address, was visiting his close friend Mr Bonomo when the attack took place. |
| Mr Duthie said Mr Bonomo was known to be alive in the early hours of Sunday morning because he spoke to his girlfriend in France. | Mr Duthie said Mr Bonomo was known to be alive in the early hours of Sunday morning because he spoke to his girlfriend in France. |
| The parents of the two men are in the UK and have had to identify their sons, police said. | The parents of the two men are in the UK and have had to identify their sons, police said. |
| Police said Mr Bonomo, of Velaux, and Mr Ferez, of Prouzel, studied in Clermont-Ferrand, central France. | Police said Mr Bonomo, of Velaux, and Mr Ferez, of Prouzel, studied in Clermont-Ferrand, central France. |