Body of missing policeman Gordon Semple found after stench of death alarms neighbours

Scented candles had been left outside the door of the flat for several days in an attempt to disguise the smell

Police declined to speculate on what had happened, but confirmed that it would take some time for the remains to be identified (PA)

A man suspected of murdering a police officer told neighbours he was cooking when they went to his flat to complain about the stench of death.

The suspect came to the door wearing only blue swimming trunks and glasses and coolly sought to allay the concerns of his neighbours even while the dead body of Scotland Yard police officer Gordon Semple, 59, was inside.

Scented candles had been left outside the door of the flat for several days in an attempt to disguise the smell and, unconvinced by the occupier’s explanation, a neighbour called police who found the body.

Police declined to speculate on what had happened, but confirmed that it would take some time for the remains to be identified.

PC Semple, who had been with the police for 30 years, was seen on CCTV close to London Bridge on Friday last week, close to the property where his body was found on Thursday. A 49-year-old man was arrested at the same address.

Martin Harris, whose brother lives upstairs from the flat where the body was found, said that he confronted the man. Mr Harris told The Telegraph: “I asked him what the terrible smell was and he apologised and said he was cooking.” Still concerned, he contacted the police.

Heather Brown, who lives in the block next door to the flat, which police forensic teams scoured for evidence, said the candles had been outside the door for a “few days”.

In a statement, PC Semple’s brother, Ronnie Semple, said: “On behalf of Gordon’s partner Gary, my wife Maureen, Gordon’s nephew Paul, niece Kerry and I, I would like to thank everyone for their kind thoughts during the past dreadful week. It has been a terrible time for us all, especially Gary.”

He added: “Gordon will be sadly missed by all of his immediate family, his colleagues in the Met Police, former Bank of Scotland colleagues in Inverness and London, friends from his ‘Tartan Army’ days, but most of all the hardest loss is for Gary at this time. Gordon was a much-loved partner, brother, brother-in-law, uncle and cousin, and our world will be a worse place without him.”

Metropolitan Police Commander Alison Newcomb said: “Due to the condition of those human remains it will take some time for the cause of death to be established and for formal identification to take place.”

PC Semple was born in Scotland and came from Inverness. Friends remembered him as a “great character” and and “old-school cop”. Andrew Crooke said: “Rest peacefully brother. You’ve booked off your last shift here and I know you are starting rest days in a better place.”

Gordon Semple was born in Scotland and came from Inverness where he was friends at school with former Labour MP David Stewart. He worked for the Bank of Scotland before joining the police.