An unemployed man has been remanded in custody accused of murdering his stepfather in a derelict school in Mitcham.

Daniel Mirga-Ondycz, 29, from West Norwood, appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Monday and will appear at the Old Bailey on January 15.

He is alleged to have been found by security guards at the former Rowan High School on Thursday, October 5. Police were called at about 9.10pm and Mr Mirga-Ondycz's stepfather, Jan Pomiechowski, was found dead at the scene.

Officers said he had been assaulted at the location and a postmortem examination at St George's Hospital gave the cause of death as severe abdominal injuries.

The tragedy has shocked residents living close to the disused school, which has been boarded-up since its closure in 2003.

Adrian Hewitt, chairman of the Commonside Community Development Trust and a resident of Rowan Road, said: "I'd never seen Mr Pomiechowski but there had been rumours someone was living in the loft of the school. It wouldn't have been difficult to get inside and I'm concerned that it's not secure.

"I'm very concerned this happened. I think it's an indication that this ward, right down in the south- east corner of Merton, is a bit of a neglected area. There's a feeling in the local community that we are a forgotten part."

The site was sold by the council to English Partnerships in March 2004, and is due to be transformed after developers won a high-profile Government competition to construct a sustainable housing complex on the site.

A spokeswoman for English Partnerships said: "Based on our experiences dealing with derelict and empty sites, English Partnerships provided as much security as we deemed the site required. The site has been patrolled throughout the 24 hour period. We will be reviewing security and our existing risk assessment for the site in the light of recent events."

The incident is the latest in a spate of murders in the area in the last year.

Last year, Matthew Carter was killed by former Tooting resident Sean Perry in Rowan Road in February as he was walking home from a friend's house.

And in July, the decomposed body of 27-year-old Estonian Egeli Rasta was found in Mitcham Common.

Gareth Davies, from Lancaster Avenue, will appear at the Old Bailey later this month charged with her murder.

Steve Austin, Labour councillor for Longthornton Ward, said: "Murders are often random attacks which could happen anywhere. The Safer Neighbourhoods team for the ward is starting to get settled into the area. It now has its own base in Pollards Hill, and only has to walk down the road to get on patch. The team is now out on the street all the time, keeping an eye on things."

An incident room has opened at Sutton under DCI Mick Duthie. Anyone with information is asked to call the incident room on 020 8721 4155 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.