Hunt continues for burnt boy killers

Officers examined the area where the body was found

Police are continuing to hunt the killers of a boy whose burnt body was found in a park in north-west London.

The boy, who is Asian and is thought to have been between 12 and 16 years old, has yet to be identified and police say they are no closer to finding out why he was murdered.

People living in the normally peaceful area near Roe Green Park, Kingsbury, say they are "extremely disturbed" by the killing.

Deeva Samaroo, an Asian leader, said inter-ethnic community relations were very good, but this had shaken peoples' confidence.

Mr Samaroo told the BBC on Thursday: "From my telephone calls to other comunity leaders they are also getting extremely worried that no-one has yet come forward to identify the child."

Officers are checking missing person registers but so far no match has been found.

They are also checking pupil registers at local schools but the half term holiday means the boy would not have been reported missing by teachers if he had disappeared in the past couple of days.

Set on fire

The boy's naked body was found near a tree by a man on his way to work at 0830 GMT on Tuesday.

He had been bludgeoned around the head with a weapon before being doused in accelerant and set on fire.

Post-mortem tests show the boy suffered serious head injuries - believed to be the cause of death - and burns to nearly all of his body.

Detective Superintendent Nigel Mawer described the killing as "horrendous".

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

The body was not tied up and there is no indication that it was a ritual style killing, with "no similarity" to the recent discovery of a young boy's torso in the Thames.

CCTV footage

There was also 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.

The boy is described as 5ft 2in tall, of slim build, with short, straight, black hair, shaved at the back and spiky on top.

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

Reg Colwill, Tory councillor for Kingsbury, said people in the borough are frightened to go out on the streets.

Mr Colwill said: "Police have been issued with body armour in the area as well."