Police have cordoned off an entire Kingston housing estate after finding a 21-year-old man dead under a lift early this morning.

Officers were called to reports of a burglary on the Cambridge Gardens estate at 5am today.

Three people were arrested for the burglary, but while there, police found a body in the shaft.

The estate was cordoned off, with officers going door-to-door interviewing residents.

A resident of Cambridge Road Estate said: "I was woken up at 5am this morning by police sirens.

"There were police officers and ambulance crews everywhere.

"The police didn't want to tell us much but all of the flats have been cordoned off and the police are standing guard."

The 21-year-old man was discovered trapped under the lift weights. He was declared dead at the scene.

A post mortem examination is expected to take place tomorrow.

A Met Police spokesman said officers were not yet sure whether it was related to the burglary.

A nearby trader said he heard a “big bang about 5.30am which sounded like a window being smashed.”

“Then six or seven guys came running past the shop.

“Fifteen or 20 minutes later police cars arrived.

“Somebody told me there’s been a body found.”

A group of teenagers on the estate were visibly upset this morning but refused to speak to the Kingston Guardian.

A Kingston police spokeswoman said officers were called at 5.38am by a member of the public to reports of a burglary in progress on Cambridge Road, Kingston.

Police attended and arrested two males and one female close to the location on suspicion of burglary.

Police were called again at 7.05am to reports of a male stuck under a lift.

“Police and London Ambulance Service attended and discovered a male underneath a lift shaft.

“The male was pronounced dead at the location.”

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has also been informed and detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

An emergency meeting was held at 1.30pm this afternoon with representatives of the Cambridge Road Estates Community Group (CRECO), police and housing officials.

Jill Preston, chairwoman of CRECO, said she was reassured by police that the incident was not gang related and there was not a police chase which led to the 21-year-old man being found in the lift shaft.

She said a large group of visibly distressed youths had gathered at the scene during the afternoon and had been leaving floral tributes for the dead man.

She said: "Everybody is very shocked and upset and we all feel for the poor parents of the boy.

"It is such a tragedy."

Cambridge Gardens resident Alma White said she had been approached by housing managers on the estate to spread the word among residents that no guns or knives had been involved.

She said: "They said it was a terrible tragedy and there were no guns or knives involved so they wanted to put people's minds at rest.

"They said there will be a police presence on the estate for a few days and if anyone is still worried or upset then they can go to the housing office and there will be people there we can talk to."

• Did you see the incident? Let us know by email or phone the newsroom on 020 8330 9555.