Finsbury Park murder: Woman's body found in outbuilding after suspected attack on Christmas Eve

Member of the public finds victim's body near sports facilities

A murder investigation has been launched after the body of a young woman was found in a London park.

The unidentified victim was found in an outbuilding next to a sports pitch in Finsbury Park on Wednesday - three days after police believe she was attacked on Christmas Eve.

A member of the public discovered the body and paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.

The woman has not yet been formally identified and police are attempting to contact her family.

Investigators have not confirmed the cause of her death, with a post-mortem due to take place later on Thursday.

Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Wall, from the Metropolitan Police’s Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: “We believe that this woman was attacked whilst in the park and this may have occurred on Christmas Eve. Her body was discovered in an outbuilding next to a sports pitch.

“We are trying to establish the motive for the attack and would like to hear from anyone who has seen anything suspicious in that part of Finsbury Park around the Christmas holiday period.”

A police cordon is in place and the area around where the body was found is out of use.

The suspected murder came after a string of killings and unexplained deaths across Britain over the Christmas period.

Police are investigating the suspicious death of a woman whose body was found at her home in Worcester on Wednesday.

In Hull, a man died from his injuries after being found on fire at around 8pm on the same day.

Humberside Police said officers were investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, but police are not looking for anyone else in connection with his death.

In Warwick, a 29-year-old man died of stab wounds outside a house on Boxing Day. Harry Stone, 21, has been charged with murder.

In Scotland, a couple were found dead in unexplained circumstances at their home in the rural village of Heiton on the same day.

Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths of Kevin Armstrong and Pauline Cockburn on Tuesday, amid local reports of a murder-suicide.

In Barnsley, a 27-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of 30-year-old Stuart Tollan was found on Christmas Day.

Another man, 21-year-old Mohammed Aftab, was found dead on Christmas morning in a country lane in Rochdale after suffering stab wounds and head injuries.

Anyone with information on the Finsbury Park murder is asked to call police on 0208 785 8244 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.