Man found strangled to death at his home in Lewisham, south east London

Neighbours have paid tribute to a ‘warm hearted and peace loving’ pensioner found strangled at his south London home.

Emergency services were scrambled to Wellmeadow Road at 1am on Sunday. They found Brian Hunt, 87, dead at his home.

Vasile Iosebica, 47, who was known to the victim had been charged with murder.

A post-mortem examination held on Monday gave the cause of death as compression of the neck.

Mr Hunt’s next-of-kin have been informed and are being supported by specially-trained officers, the Met has said.

Flowers have been left outside the house in tribute to Mr Hunt.

His next door neighbour Yvonne, told Metro: ‘He was a lovely warm warm-hearted man.

‘He loved animals and was very peace-loving. He had lived here for around 20 years. He cared for his wife, Brenda for years when she was ill.

‘She had passed away, but he was so lovely and caring.

‘He always had a wave for us when we were in the garden and was well-loved in the community.

‘He went to the local pub and was a well-known and respected man. We are devastated.’

Forensics officers are still at the scene trawling for evidence. The house is near Hither Green station, and detectives are trawling for CCTV and carrying out door-to-door inquiries.

A mother of three who lives on the street told Metro: ‘He was lovely, a real gentleman. He always said hello to the kids and seemed a peace-loving respectable man. We are gutted.’

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