The pensioner arrested on suspicion of murdering a suspected burglar in his home is 78-year-old Richard Osborn-Brooks, Sky sources say.

Police were called to a house in Hither Green, southeast London, at 12.45am to reports of a break-in in progress.

Osborn-Brooks had found two men inside his home.

Image: The police presence in Hither Green

There were initial reports Osborn-Brooks was forced into the kitchen by one of the suspects armed with a screwdriver while the other went upstairs.

Police said that, during a struggle, a 38-year-old man found inside the property sustained a stab injury to his upper body.


He was discovered collapsed nearby and taken to hospital but died soon after 3.30am.

A man who lives on the road where the stabbed man was found described hearing a man on the street "moaning and groaning".

He said: "At first I thought he was drunk, but when I looked out of the window, I saw a white Vauxhall Astra van pulled up beside him.

Image: Polive have cordoned off the scene in Hither Green

"A black man was saying to the guy on the ground, 'Come on, get in the van'. He was trying to drag him but it wasn't working. The black guy then looked up to my window and saw me looking out, so he ran back into the van and drove off north.

"My wife then heard the clang of metal on the ground and saw him throw something out of the van's window. I went downstairs straight away and was the first on the scene.

"The man on the ground was white and was bleeding heavily from his chest through his shirt.

"People have been talking about a screwdriver but this wasn't a screwdriver wound - this was a knife. The wound was an inch long. I think that it was a knife and I think from what my partner said that the black guy pulled it out and threw it away."

Image: Officers are carrying out inquiries

Another resident, who was woken by flashing ambulance lights, said he saw the injured man stripped of his clothes as up to eight paramedics attempted to save his life.

Police initially arrested Osborn-Brooks on suspicion of grievous bodily harm but they have since rearrested him on suspicion of murder.

A Met Police statement said: "The homeowner suffered bruising to his arms. His injuries are not life threatening.

"He was taken to a south London police station where he remains at this time.

"The second suspect in the burglary fled the scene prior to police arrival and is still at large."

Image: Forensic experts have been investigating

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said he knew Osborn-Brooks.

"He's been retired for 26 years. I did some building work on his house a while ago, but I haven't seen him for about three weeks," said the neighbour.

Another neighbour told the Press Association there had been a recent spate of burglaries in the area.

Lewisham Councillor Mark Ingleby said residents had previously installed their own security gates to block off a collection of alleyways in the area which were exacerbating the burglary problem.

Resident Adam Lake, who said he didn't feel safe in the area and had put up CCTV in his own home, said: "I feel terrible for the man that was burgled.

"He doesn't deserve to be punished for defending himself, and the neighbours that I've spoken to all agree that the priority needs to be to support him after everything that he's been through. He was just protecting himself after all."

The dead man's next of kin have been informed but formal identification is yet to take place.

A post mortem examination is expected to take place in the next few days.

Forensic officers have searched the house in South Park Crescent.

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.