An alleged homophobic attack has left a man dead and another critically injured after a stabbing in Bickley near Bromley.

Police have launched a murder investigation after discovering the body at Page Heath Villas off Bickley Road just after 8pm last night.

Gerry Edwards, 59, who lived at the address, was the man who died.

The second man, named as Chris Bevan and in his 50s, was found suffering from stab wounds at the address.

He was taken to a south London hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

The two are believed to have been partners.

Police are gathering CCTV footage from the area.

Bickley normally has low crime and no incidents of homophobic crime have been reported recently to police.

Det Ch Insp Cliff Lyons said: “The location of the murder is near a busy road in the borough of Bromley.

“It is largely residential and I would have expected there would still be traffic either going past or residents arriving home.

“Police are keen to trace a white man, possibly in his 40s, who may have been in the area at the time. At this stage I do not know if he is a witness or a suspect.

“We are keeping an open mind regarding a motive for the attack. We have found no evidence of a break in and we are not ruling out that it may have been a homophobic attack.

“I want to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time, who may have seen or heard anything suspicious. Did you see a man running away or a car leaving the scene which may have drawn your attention?”

A post mortem will be carried out on Thursday.