John Middleton, 75 and from Sheringham, was found in his bathtub hacked to death by a machete at his home in Mombasa on Saturday.

Mr Middleton, who was a retired Anglian Water engineer, moved to Kenya in 2014 to live with his wife Regina and her son Max.

He had been a referee in Norfolk and was a member of Cromer golf club and had lived  in Hooks Hills Road, Sheringham. 

John Middleton had been a Norfolk County FA referee for 15 years before moving to Kenya (Image: Archant © 2014)

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It is reported his body was found by a cleaner and his stepson Max has said he has been interrogated by Kenyan police over the death.

Speaking from a police station in Mombasa, Kenya, he told MailOnline: "The police are interrogating me in connection with the death of my father.

"I have not seen my father for some time, but we were texting each other the night before he died.

"He was totally normal. Then I got notified of his death in the morning.'

Mr Middleton's death follows the murder of his wife Regina six years ago. 

Kelvin Gitau, John's stepson from his second marriage, paid tribute to Mr Middleton on social media. 

His post said: "Words can't even explain my emotions right now.

"Before he emigrated to Kenya, he was a well-known member of the North Norfolk community. But more importantly, he's been an incredible father to me since I was three years old.

"My heart is truly broken beyond belief at how cruelly John has been taken from our lives and I'm still trying to process it all.

"John was a larger-than-life character, loved by his family, friends and will truly be missed by all who knew him."

Fellow expat in Kenya and close friend John Smith, 77, said: "John was an extrovert."