Police are questioning two men over the suspected homophobic murder of a man stabbed to death in his flat.
Gerry Edwards, 59, and his long-term partner, Chris Bevan, 56, were found with stab wounds at their home in Bromley, south-east London, on Tuesday night. Edwards was pronounced dead at the scene and Bevan was taken to a south London hospital in a critical condition.
Detectives said the men lived together and that Bevan was hurt while trying to help his partner.
"Gerald Edwards was stabbed to death inside his own premises," said Detective Chief Inspector Cliff Lyons. "A person inside the premises came to his aid – a man called Chris Bevan. He received multiple stab wounds and he is currently fighting for his life in a south London hospital."
Lyons said Bevan was "clinging to life" but had managed to give detectives vital clues. "A man came to the premises, it would appear, and, from the information given by one of the surviving victims, it was a homophobic attack. That is a line of inquiry that we are pursuing."
Police arrested two men last night, one in his 60s and the other in his 40s. They are being held at south London police stations.
Bevan worked as a healthcare assistant and had been a member of Unison for a number of years. The union's general secretary, Dave Prentis, described the attack as a "terrible act". He said: "Our sympathies go out to the families and friends of both men at this difficult time."
Detectives said the murder happened near a busy road, in the flat at Page Heath Villas, off Bickley Road, at about 8pm on Tuesday.