Two French students have been found dead with multiple stab wounds in an East London flat, it was confirmed last night.

A double murder inquiry has been launched after the bodies of the two men, believed to be in their twenties, were discovered on Sunday, when firefighters were called to deal with a fire at the address in Sterling Gardens, New Cross.

A police source said the pair had been "horrifically murdered" adding that it was believed they may have been tortured before being killed and their flat set alight.

Post-mortems on the two bodies showed they were stabbed in the head, the neck and the chest.

Scotland Yard was expected to identify the two students at a press conference this morning. They are thought to be exchange students doing research at Imperial College. French media reports said they were from the Polytechnic of Clermont-Ferrand, in central France.

Their families have been informed and were received yesterday by the French consul general in London.

Police and other emergency services were called at 22:10 on Sunday evening.

The fire was quickly extinguished and the mutilated bodies of the two men were found in a ground floor flat.

They had only been here for a few weeks before being murdered, and had been intending to stay for three months - the length of their contract.

A spokesman for London Ambulance Service said that two ambulances, an officer and a medical team were sent to the scene, where the two men were immediately pronounced dead.

A police source said that officers were keeping an open mind as to why the students were killed, but added that there was no immediate indication why they were so brutally attacked.

An incident room has opened at Sutton under DCI Mick Duthie and detectives are working with the Fire Brigade on the cause of the fire.

DCI Duthie said: "I am appealing for anyone who was in the area of Sterling Gardens at any time over the weekend, and who may have seen or heard anything suspicious near the address, to get in touch.

"I am particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have seen anyone near the premises around 21.30 on Sunday."

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