Police question man and woman after body found in south London garden

A man and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a body was discovered in the garden of a house in south-west London.

Firefighters who put out a fire at the address on Wimbledon Park Road in Wandsworth called police at about 6.30pm on Wednesday to report the body.

The victim was too badly burned to immediately establish a gender or age. Police said it seemed as though attempts had been made to dispose of the body.

The suspects, a 40-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman, were arrested at the scene and taken to separate police stations for questioning.

The Metropolitan police’s homicide and major crime command (HMCC) is leading the investigation, and working closely with police in Wandsworth.

“Early indications are that attempts were made to dispose of the body,” DI Richard Leonard from the HMCC said. “I would like to appeal to those in and around the area to come forward with information. You may well have seen or heard something suspicious in the last few days which could assist our investigators.”

Supt Peter Gardner from Wandsworth police said: “I fully appreciate the concern that this investigation will cause in the local community. Specialist investigators will be carrying out work at the scene whilst local neighbourhood officers will be patrolling in and around the area to help reassure residents and, where possible, respond to their concerns.”

A London fire brigade spokesperson said: “We were called at 18.13 to reports of a fire in Wimbledon Park Road in Southfields. Two fire engines from Battersea and Hammersmith fire stations attended the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the brigade and Metropolitan Police Service.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the Met’s incident room on 0208 721 4843 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.