A great-grandfather who moved to South Africa to start a new life has been found murdered.

Horace Coltman's body was discovered in the garage of his home by a cleaner on Friday morning.

His hands and feet had been bound together and he had suffered extensive head injuries, his family said.

The 85-year-old was born in Leicester and lived in the city all his life until 12 years ago, when he left for the town of Edgemead, a northern suburb of Cape Town, with his second wife, Joyce.

Today, family members who still live in Leicestershire, said they were shocked at Horace's death.

Police in South Africa told them he had been killed during a robbery at his home.

Daughter-in-law Marion Coltman, 61, of Markfield, said Horace had been to his local pub on Thursday night and was not seen again until Friday morning, when his body was discovered. His home had been raided by robbers who had stolen items including a microwave, she said.

Horace's wife, Joyce, died in November, leaving him on his own.

Marion said: "He has a lot of friends and neighbours back home who will remember him. People were worried he wouldn't cope living on his own, but he was always very happy in South Africa."

Son Tony Coltman, 58, of Rothley, said: "I never imagined this would ever happen to him. He was so happy there. He was a nice person.

"We got a call to say his legs had been tied up and he had been hit over the head."

Horace was born and raised in the Wharf Street area of Belgrave, Leicester. He then lived in Appleton Avenue, in Stocking Farm, Leicester, before moving to South Africa.

He worked for hosiery companies Byfords, off Abbey Lane, and Five Ways Hosiery, in Tudor Road, both in Leicester.

Horace was a regular visitor to the Manchester Working Men's Club, now the Nottingham Oddfellows Club, in Humberstone Gate, where he loved dancing and won several darts competitions.

He was a keen fisherman and, when he was younger, he enjoyed riding motorbikes.

Horace had four children with his first wife, Joan, from whom he was divorced. He also had four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

An officer at Edgemead police station, in the Western Cape, would only confirm that a murder investigation was under way. He said nobody had been arrested.

Between April 2007 and March 2008, about 18,500 people were murdered in South Africa. The figure was the lowest in more than a decade in the country.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office lists South Africa as having "a very high level of crime, including rape and murder".