A REWARD of £20,000 has been made available to help solve the murder of a Lewisham pimp two years ago.

Earl Warburton - known as Duke - died from multiple injuries after he was assaulted inside his Loampit Hill flat on February 15 2012.

To coincide with the second anniversary of his death, police are offering a £20,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and prosecution of those responsible for his murder.

Mr Warburton had lived in Lewisham for more than 20 years and was a well-known character in the area. He had run a brothel, advertising locally under the name Madonnas, from his home.

Just a few hours after Valentine's Day ended he was murdered by a number of men who entered his flat and demanded money.

A violent struggle then ensued during which he was fatally assaulted.

Detective Inspector Murphy from the Met's Homicide and Major Crime Command said: "It is now two years since Mr Warburton's death. We are particularly keen to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time of the attack and who may have seen or heard anything suspicious.

"We are also keen to speak to anyone who may have worked for him in the weeks or months leading up to his attack.

"We appreciate that given the nature of the business Mr Warburton ran people may be concerned about coming forward. We would like to stress that any information will be treated in the strictest confidence."

Anyone with information should call the incident room on 020 8721 4868 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.