A police officer was strangled, dismembered and partially dissolved in a bath of acid after a date with a man he met on Grindr, a court has heard.

Stefano Brizzi claims Inverness-born Gordon Semple died during a "sex game gone wrong" at his south London flat.

The 59-year-old officer had arranged to go to Brizzi's flat on the Peabody Estate for sex on April 1, jurors at the Old Bailey were told.

Over the next few days, neighbours noticed a "revolting smell" coming from the apartment and alerted the police.

When officers visited the flat they found a bath of acid with human remains floating in it, the court heard.

Brizzi allegedly told an officer: "I've tried to dissolve the body... I've killed a police officer. I killed him last week. I met him on Grindr and I killed him. Satan told me to."

Jurors were told the defendant was not claiming a psychiatric defence, however, and were told Mr Semple died accidentally during a "sex game gone wrong".

Brizzi denies murder but has admitted a charge of obstructing a coroner in the execution of duty between March 31 and April 8.

Mr Semple contacted Brizzi and went to the defendant's flat on April 1, the court heard.

Prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC said: "Over the next few hours, both Gordon Semple and the defendant used Grindr to invite other men to come to the flat for a sex party where drugs would be available.

"Although a number of invitations were sent out, only two men responded with any real interest.

"One was put off by the possible use of drugs and he decided not to go, the other [referred to only as CD] got as far as the front door of the block of flats in which the defendant lived.

"When CD pressed the entry buzzer, someone who can only have been the defendant replied over the intercom: We are having a situation here, someone fell ill but we're taking care of it So our party is cancelled. CD turned around and went home."

Mr Aylett added: "In fact, it seems clear that there had only ever been two people in the flat - the defendant and Semple."

The prosecutor told jurors CD must have arrived as Mr Semple was dying.

Brizzi later told police Mr Semple had invited a number of people to the flat "but they didn't arrive and, when one did arrive, I was right in the middle of strangling Gordon and I said to - he was right there at the door - and I said to him: Look, this is not the right time now, people are falling ill and it's a mess."

The court heard that Brizzi had been a user of crystal meth and was "obsessed" with the American show Breaking Bad.

Mr Aylett said the main character, chemistry teacher Walter White, produced crystal meth and, after poisoning a rival, dissolved the body in acid.