Two burnt bodies found in Orpington were those of a murdered father and the killer who had beaten him to death, cut off his ear and then got caught by the fire he started to destroy the evidence, family sources say.

The daughter of Norman Hawkins, 59, said her father was bludgeoned to death by Lee Scamp, 21, who died of smoke inhalation after trying to destroy evidence of the attack by fire.

She said Mr Hawkins, who was deaf and had throat cancer, was beaten so severely that all the bones in his face and his ribs were broken in his home in Croxley Green, St Paul's Cray.

Scamp piled furniture on top of his victim and set fire to it, it is also claimed by a member of Mr Hawkins' family.

However, it appears he was caught in the fire and died at the scene of smoke inhalation.

Mr Hawkins' ear, which had been cut off, was found by police in Scamp's pocket, they added.

A family member said Mr Hawkins' daughter, who is pregnant and expecting to give birth to twins in four weeks time, is ill with stress and grief because of the incident.

Police today confirmed Mr Hawkins was the second body found in the house on June 9 after previously naming Lee Scamp, of Tilbury Close, St Paul's Cray.

On June 13, police said they were treating the incident as a murder inquiry.

An inquest into the two men's deaths opened at Croydon Coroner's Court on Tuesday.

Post-mortem examinations were held at the Princess Royal University Hospital, Farnborough, on June 10.

They showed Mr Hawkins died after suffering multiple injuries, while Mr Scamp's death was caused by smoke inhalation.

The incident is being investigated by the Met Police's Specialist Crime Directorate, based at Sutton.

Anyone with information should call the incident room on 020 8721 4066 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.