An alleged serial killer has appeared in court charged with drugging and killing four young men in the UK said to have been contacted on gay websites.

Stephen Port, 40, is accused of murdering the victims over a 15-month period in Barking, East London.

All four men died from an overdose of the sedative GHB, known as a 'date-rape drug'.

Mr Port of Cooke Street, Barking, is accused of killing art student Anthony Walgate, 23, Slovakian-born artist Gabriel Kovari, 22, trainee chef Daniel Whitworth, 21, and forklift truck driver Jack Taylor, 25.

He is also charged with administering poison with intent to endanger life or inflict grievous bodily harm.

On his Facebook page he says he works as a special needs catering teacher at a college of further education in Westminster.

He also says he was educated at Oxford University.

Mr Port, tall and balding, appeared in court without his wig and dressed in a police issue grey track suit. He was asked only to confirm his name, address and date of birth.

He lives at a small, ground floor flat on an estate in Barking, where neighbours said they saw little of him.

A week ago police issued a CCTV image of a suspect who was thought to have met the last victim, Mr Taylor, near Barking station the day before the discovery of his body.

• Jack Taylor from Dagenham was found near the Abbey Ruins close to North Street in Barking on 14 September 2015.
• Anthony Walgate from Barnet, was pronounced dead after being discovered on Cooke Street in Barking on 19 June 2014.
• Gabriel Kovari, from Lewisham, was found by a dog walker near the graveyard of St Margaret's Church in Barking on 28 August 2014.
• Daniel Whitworth, from Gravesend in Kent, was discovered by the same dog walker near the graveyard on 20 September 2014.

One victim was found clutching a suicide note, but it's understood that is now subject to more forensic tests.

A year ago a detective investigating the discovery of three bodies in a month, and within a mile of each other, said the deaths were "unusual, but not suspicious."

Mr Port was charged on Sunday night and appeared on Monday at Barkingside Magistrates Court, where he was remanded in custody.

He will appear again at the Old Bailey on Wednesday.