Two police officers have been interviewed under caution and placed on restricted duty while they are investigated over suggestions they failed to properly respond to the fatal stabbing of a dad in Selsdon.

The allegations, which came to light during an ongoing misconduct investigation, centre on the death of Andrew Else, 52, who was stabbed more than 200 times near to his home on the Forestdale estate in April last year.

Paranoid schizophrenic Ephraim Norman, 24, earlier this year pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility over the dad-of-three's death and was ordered to be detained indefinitely at maximum security hospital Broadmoor.

FEBRUARY 2015: Widow speaks of devastation over death of husband stabbed 200 times

A file has been handed to the Crown Prosecution Service regarding the Croydon sergeants, who have not been suspended.

Local officers were on the scene of the attack in Selsdon Park Road within seven minutes, Scotland Yard said.

Detective Chief Superintendent Alaric Bonthron, from the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS), said: "The suggestion that any police officer has in some way failed to do their duty and respond properly to any call for a response must be fully and properly investigated. 

"If any officer has failed in their duty it is only right that they are held to account.

"Every day in London police officers work hard to keep the public safe. Allegations such as these trouble us all."

One of the sergeants had been moved from a policing team over allegations of "inappropriate behaviour" reported in January last year, police said.

Those claims were reported to the DPS and referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission who advised the investigation should be carried out locally.

The latest allegations over the handling of the call in response to the killing of Mr Else led to the decision to place both sergeants on restricted duties, the Met said.