Police probe city dealer's murder

A wealthy City bond dealer has been murdered at his home in one of Britain's plushest neighbourhoods.

A wealthy City bond dealer has been murdered at his home in one of Britain's plushest neighbourhoods.

John Monckton was apparently killed during a burglary in Upper Cheyne Row in London's Chelsea.

The investigation is being led by Detective Superintendent Mark Jackson, who was later today set to hold a press conference with Kensington and Chelsea Borough Commander Dominic Clout.

Mr Monckton was director (bonds) with financial giant Legal & General.

A qualified barrister and Oxford graduate, he was called to the Bar as a member of Lincoln's Inn in 1979.

He worked in the City from 1979 and held previous directorships at Barclays de Zoete Wedd and Foreign & Colonial. He joined Legal & General in February 1996.

His elegant three storey town house was this morning sealed off with blue and white police tape.

Investigators were seen examining the front entrance to the property. The curtains on the upper floors were drawn but were open on the ground floor.

The house is set in an area of expensive and well–maintained properties just off the fashionable Kings Road.

Houses in the street sell for in excess of £3 million.

Other residents have included former Rolling Stone bassist Bill Wyman.

Surrounding streets were all sealed off by police this morning and a mobile police station was set up on an adjacent road.

One resident said: "They (the police) won't tell us anything except something horrible happened here last night at 7pm."

Anne Martins, 31, a nanny employed in the area said: "It's normally very quiet."

Pamela Griffiths, 56, who also lives nearby, said: "The police just said there was an attack last night. I think it is pretty nasty."

She said it was a "beautiful area" where there was rarely any serious crime.

Police said Mr Monckton and his wife Homeyra were stabbed and seriously injured when two men forced their way into the house last night.

Mr Monckton died later in hospital and his wife underwent "significant" surgery. Today she was in a serious condition, Detective Superintendent Mark Jackson told reporters.

Borough Commander Dominic Clout said: "This morning I have got a community in shock. This is a tragic, tragic murder."