The death of a man whose body was discovered on fire in a park has been categorized as suspicious by specialist crime detectives.
Just before 4.20 a.m. on Monday, a member of the public summoned firemen to Belvue Park in Ealing, west London.
When the team realized the fires in the park were caused by a body, they notified the police.
The Met had previously stated that the death was ‘unexplained,’ but that classification has now been altered to ‘suspicious.’
The inquiry has been handed over to the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Crime Command.
The body has not yet been recognized, but detectives believe the dead is a man and are seeking to identify him in order to contact his next of kin.
On social media, residents said that a blue forensic tent had been constructed in the park as police continued their investigation.
Senior investigating officer detective chief inspector Claire Hine said that ‘This is a complex and fast-moving investigation and we are working to piece together the events that resulted in this person losing their life.
‘Our top priority at this stage is identifying the person involved so their family can be informed.
‘We are also carrying out house-to-house enquiries are reviewing CCTV to build a timeline of who was in the area at the time of the fire.
‘Officers will be in the park for some time and I would like to thank the community for their understanding as we carry out our thorough investigation.’
Chief superintendent Sean Wilson added that ‘There is no information at this time to suggest there is any wider risk as a result of this incident and I would ask the public to avoid speculating about the circumstances while our investigation takes place.’