The body - which had the words Funky Pumpkin tattooed above the navel - was found by a passer-by in a fountain in Kensington Gardens.

The body of the woman, thought to be in her early to mid-20s, was floating in one of the four Italian Fountains in the park close to Kensington Palace, once the home of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Belgravia CID are treating the death as suspicious, although there is no obvious sign of violence, a police spokeswoman said.

Very distinctive

Detectives believe the body may have been in the water for two weeks before it was found.

A post mortem was inconclusive about the cause of death and police are appealing for help in identifying the woman.

Detective Inspector Jim Dickie, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "She's very distinctive, I'm sure someone knows who she is.

"It's vital we identify her so we can discover her last movements."

The woman was described as 5ft 10in tall, of slim build, and with blonde to fair hair, and with a freckly complexion.

She was wearing a blue anorak, dark Levi jeans, a white T-shirt, black and white platform trainers, and contact lenses.