Tarantino murders: Suspect with burns to hands and face walks into police station and gives himself up

The 33-year-old was arrested on suspicion of murder after walking into a police station in South London, not far from the scene of the killings, at about 2am.

He was seen by a police doctor and transferred to hospital for treatment to his injuries. Scotland Yard confirmed he was being treated for burns.

Murdered: Gabriel Ferez (left) and Laurent Bonomo were stabbed to death

The science students’ bodies were found last Sunday inside Mr Bonomo’s rented flat in New Cross, which had been set on fire using an accelerant.

They had been bound and stabbed 243 times and were already dead before the blaze started. Murder detectives are waiting until the man in hospital is in a fit state to be questioned so they can establish whether he is a genuine suspect in the inquiry.

Officers are still appealing for witnesses and information as they try to piece together the 21-hour window between when the students were last seen or heard and when neighbours heard an explosion at the flat at 10pm on Sunday.

The man, the second to be arrested, walked into Lewisham police station hours after the release of an e-fit of a slim, white man in his 30s seen running from the scene at the same time as the explosion.

Police at the flat were the 23-year-olds were brutally murdered

Mr Bonomo and Mr Ferez, both 23 and research students at Imperial College, London, may have been tortured to reveal the PINs for their credit cards.

It is also possible that their attacker returned later to set fire to the flat.

Initial forensic tests suggest there was more than one killer.

Mr Ferez, who lived elsewhere in South London, had gone to his friend’s flat in New Cross on the Saturday night to play computer games.

On Saturday a 21-year-old man was arrested and questioned over the murders. He was later released without charge.

Floral tributes mark the scene where the two young men lost their lives

Mr Ferez’s parents have begged for the killer to come forward.

Francoise and Olivier Ferez said: ‘We plead with you to turn yourselves in to the police. You will not be able to live in hiding forever.

‘You may be scared and feel like a coward, but you must recognise this terrible mistake you made. We will not leave you in peace.’

Last night more than 500 French students held hands and marched through the university town of Clermont-Ferrand in memory of Mr Bonomo and Mr Ferez, who were both destined for glittering careers as top scientists.

Many fought back tears as they formed a silent, 300-yard column of mourners.

Students from all over France had come back to Polytech Clermont-Ferrand, which is all but closed for the summer holidays, to remember their friends.