Police try to identify burnt boy

Officers examined the area where the body was found

Police are attempting to identify the badly burnt remains of an Asian boy found in a London park.

The boy - thought to be aged between 12 and 16 - had been bludgeoned around the head with a weapon before being doused in accelerant and set on fire, said police.

His naked body was found near a tree by a man on his way to work at 0830 GMT on Tuesday in Roe Green Park, Kingsbury, north-west London.

Detective Superintendent Nigel Mawer, who is leading the murder hunt, said they were working to establish the teenager's identity.

Mr Mawer said: "He had suffered serious head injuries consistent with being hit a number of times with an unknown implement.

"The primary cause of death was serious head injuries."

Mr Mawer said it was "impossible to say" whether the victim had been alive or dead when he was set alight.

There was no sign of sexual assault but detectives have not ruled it out as a possible motive.

Police are also keeping an open mind as to a possible racial motive and are liaising with community leaders in the area to allay their fears.

Following a post-mortem examination on Tuesday night, the boy was described as 5 ft 2 in tall.

He had a slim build, and short, straight, black hair, shaved at the back and short and spikey on top.

Our initial appeal is to discover the identity of the victim of this horrendous attack

Detective Superintendent Nigel Mawer

Local residents spoke of their shock at the killing and some claimed to have seen the body before police arrived.

One man, who asked not to be named, said: "It seemed to be a child but it was completely burned to shreds, it was a horrific sight.

"It was face down on the ground slumped against a tree not far from the road, I couldn't believe what I saw, it was just lying there."

Another resident John Hughes, said: "The police came round and told me that a charred body was found in the park.

"It was so badly charred they couldn't identify the person. They said it was burnt beyond recognition."

Mr Mawer said it was likely the boy had been killed at the scene.

"We believe it took place at the site where the body was found. He was certainly set alight at the site.

"We believe he was killed some time between sundown on Monday and 0830 GMT on Tuesday when the body was found.

"We can't rule out the possibility that the body had lain there for some time before it was discovered," he said.

Footage examined

On Wednesday morning, police erected a yellow-and-white tent on the spot where the body was found about 50 yards from the perimeter of the park.

The tent was later removed and a dozen officers wearing white gloves moved in on hands and knees to search around the spot where the body was found.

Officers are checking through missing person registers but so far no match has been found, said Mr Mawer.

Police are also carrying out house-to-house inquiries and examining CCTV footage from the area.