Man with burns gives himself up over French student murders but is told at police station: 'Wait in the queue'

The prime suspect in the murder of two French students was told to wait in a police station reception after walking in and confessing.

The man, who had burns to his hands and face, sat with members of the public for five minutes until he was arrested on suspicion of murder.

He walked into Lewisham police station in South London, a mile from the murder scene, shortly before 2am on Monday.

It was a week after the murders and just hours after police issued an e-fit of a suspect seen running away from the scene.

The man, 33, handed himself in to a civilian member of staff at the front desk.

He stood in a cubicle which can be locked automatically by staff, but was asked to wait in reception while a police officer was called - leaving him free to escape at any time.

Lucy Downer, who was at the station to pay a motoring fine, said the man told her he'd confessed to the murder but police were 'not doing anything about it'.

Yesterday, magistrates granted police a further 36 hours to question the suspect over the horrific deaths of Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez.

The men, both 23 and research students at Imperial College, were gagged, bound and stabbed 243 times in a brutal and frenzied attack at Mr Bonomo's rented flat in New Cross, South East London, before their bodies were set alight.

Officers said the killings were like a scene from a Quentin Tarantino film. They believe there could be more than one killer and are appealing for witnesses or information.

Miss Downer, who was with her 16-year-old cousin, said: 'We were sitting on a row of seats when this little skinny bloke walked in. He looked really out of it. His hands were bright red and his face was peeling badly.

Tortured: French student Laurent Bonomo pictured with his fiance Mary Bertez

'There are booths just to the right of the front door and he went into the first one and spoke with a reception officer. Then he came back out, sat down next to my cousin and started looking at her very strangely. I got a bit worried and changed places with her.

'Then this bloke got out a tub of antiseptic cream and rubbed it into his hands for the next few minutes.

'He then stood up, put his hands in the air and said, "I've just murdered two people, I've got third degree f***ing burns and they are not even f***ing arresting me."

'Me and my cousin looked at one another and I said, "What did you do?" Then he said, "I've just told them I've killed two people in New Cross and they are not even f***ing arresting me.'''

Shortly afterwards, a detective constable appeared and arrested him before the murder squad team were informed.

The man had burns on his hands and face and was taken to hospital for treatment, before being returned to a police station for questioning.

A police source said: 'The murder team are frustrated that this incident is overshadowing all the hard work they've done on the case.

'Front staff at police stations have a tough job with all sorts of time-wasters going in there.'

Scotland Yard said it would not be launching an inquiry into the incident.

A spokesman said: 'CCTV tapes from the front office have been viewed and show that there was no negligence on the part of any member of staff.

'The man was seen immediately by a member of police staff when he arrived at 1.43am.

'This member of staff, a station reception officer, called for assistance from a police officer. During the time before an officer arrived, he was being monitored at all times.'

Inquests into the deaths of Mr Bonomo and Mr Ferez on June 29 were opened and adjourned yesterday.

Southwark Coroner's Court was told the pair died from multiple stab wounds.

No comments are permitted on this story as legal proceedings are underway