The trial of an alleged serial killer accused of drugging and murdering four men, including one from Lewisham, will start this week.

Stephen Port, 41, allegedly met the men on gay dating sites and invited them to his home in Barking, where he is said to have poisoned them with the party drug GHB.

Detectives launched an investigation after the four men died over a period of 14 months.

Gabriel Kovari, 22, originally from Slovakia but living in Lewisham, was found by a dog walker near St Margaret's churchyard on August 28, 2014.

Four of his alleged victims, all in their twenties, suffered overdoses and were dumped in or near a churchyard in Barking, east London.

Anthony Walgate, 23, was found dead on Cooke Street on June 19, 2014.

He was a fashion and design student at Middlesex University who was originally from Hull but living in Barnet.

Just under a month later, on September 20, 2014, the same dog walker discovered the body of Daniel Whitworth, 21, from Gravesend, near the same churchyard.

Then on September 14 last year, Jack Taylor, 25, a forklift truck driver from Dagenham, was found dead near abbey ruins close to North Street.

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He was initially charged with four counts of murder and four counts of administering a poison.

He was later also charged with six further counts of administering a poison, seven of rape and four sexual assaults against eight other men.

He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, which allegedly took place between 2011 and 2015.

The Old Bailey trial is being heard before Mr Justice Openshaw and is expected to last up to 10 weeks.

Port, who is in custody, has also denied alternative charges of manslaughter.

A jury is expected to be selected later and the case for the prosecution opened by Jonathan Rees QC on Wednesday.