The man convicted of knifing leukaemia sufferer Justin Hayward to death has been found hanged in his cell at a London jail.

Robert Cairns was found by officers at Wormwood Scrubs, west London, on Saturday morning.

He was pronounced dead at the city's Charing Cross Hospital.

A Prison Service inquiry will be held into Cairns' death and the coroner has been informed.

Cairns, 29, stabbed Justin, 19, more than 40 times in a knife attack in Brighton in October 1996 and was jailed for life for murder by Lewes Crown Court in December 2000.

He had been convicted of the same charge in March 1998 but the Appeal Court overturned his conviction and granted a retrial so new forensic evidence could be presented.

Cairns, then 23, and his victim had both lived at the Royal Promenade Hotel in Percival Terrace, Brighton.

Lewes Crown Court was told that Cairns and co-defendant Paul Maynard - convicted of causing GBH with intent in the 1998 trial and jailed for three-and-a-half years - had been angry with Justin in a row over alcohol.

Justin was later found by a passer-by at Duke's Mound, Brighton. He had been stabbed in the neck, throat and eyes.

Justin's life was cut short months after he underwent nine months of treatment for leukaemia. He had been told he was in remission.

He came from Copthorne, near Crawley, went to Holy Trinity School, Gossops Green, and was a keen sportsman.

Cairns had checked in to the hotel a few days before Justin.

Born in Dublin, the third of eight children, he moved to London with his family when he was a child.

His father left home while he was a teenager and his mother returned to Ireland. He was placed in the care of social services.

He arrived in Brighton in early October 1996, where he met Maynard, from the Midlands.

Detective Constable Clinton Novelle, who was involved in the original investigation, said today: "The family of Justin Hayward have received the news in a subdued fashion and do not wish to make an official comment.

"The Metropolitan Police are conducting an investigation to confirm the cause of death and a post mortem will be carried out.

"It's being treated as a suicide and at this time it is not believed any message or note has been left explaining Cairns' actions.