Man charged with murder of missing Met police officer Gordon Semple

The accused man is due to appear in court on Monday

Gordon Semple was last seen on 1 April after attending a work meeting (PA)

A man has been charged with murder following the intense search for missing Metropolitan police officer, Gordon Semple.

Stefano Brizzi, 49, was arrested on Thursday following the discovery of “human remains” in his flat on Peabody Estate in Southwark, south London, believed to be that of PC Semple.

Mr Brizzi will appear via video at Bromley Magistrates' Court on Monday, 11 April.

Gordon Semple was an officer with the Met but originally from Greenhithe, Kent. He was last seen on 1 April after attending a work meeting at the Shard’s Shangri-La Hotel.

Police later released a CCTV image of him in central London shortly afterwards.

PC Gordon Semple was last seen on CCTV in Great Guildford Street near London Bridge at 3pm on Friday, he can be seen looking at his mobile telephone, but not making or receiving a call (Metropolitan Police)

His partner reported him missing later that night.

His niece, Kerry Nicholas, had earlier described him as “a very outgoing, sociable guy. Very happy-go-lucky”.

In a statement, PC Semple’s brother, Ronnie Semple, said: “On behalf of Gordon’s partner Gary, my wife Maureen, Gordon’s nephew Paul, niece Kerry and I, I would like to thank everyone for their kind thoughts during the past dreadful week. It has been a terrible time for us all, especially Gary.”

He added: “Gordon will be sadly missed by all of his immediate family, his colleagues in the Met Police, former Bank of Scotland colleagues in Inverness and London, friends from his ‘Tartan Army’ days, but most of all the hardest loss is for Gary at this time. Gordon was a much-loved partner, brother, brother-in-law, uncle and cousin, and our world will be a worse place without him.”

The 59-year-old was originally from Inverness and worked with the force’s antisocial behaviour unit in Westminster. He had no children but still had family in Scotland.

The case was originally treated as a high-risk missing person’s inquiry.