Men seen near burning body

A police officer guards the crime scene in Essex

Police want to interview three people seen in a car close to where a burning body was found in Essex.

The body of a man, who has not been identified, was found on fire at the entrance to a dirt track at West Hanningfield, near Chelmsford.

A police spokesman said officers are trying to trace a Vauxhall Corsa that was seen leaving the area at around the time the body was found on Wednesday night.

Police said they are working with other forces in south-east England and East Anglia to try to identify the man.

Versace stud

The dark-coloured Corsa had a distinctive central exhaust.

A post mortem examination on Thursday revealed the victim was already dead, having been suffocated, before being set on fire.

The man was white, aged under 40, and was between 5ft 6ins and six feet tall. He had a surgical bandage and dressing on his upper forearm.

Two items were found near the body. One was a piece of heavy blue twill fabric, believed to be a shirt, with a Versace Classic silver stud button.

The second was a small square metal box containing a plaque engraved with Hackney Racecourse 1988.

Police are trying to establish whether the two items have any connection with the murdered man.