The discovery of a man’s body on Mitcham Common this afternoon is not being treated as a murder investigation, police have said.

A dog walker is said to have found the body of a man in bushes on the common by the junction with Cedars Avenue this afternoon.

Dozens of police officers are standing guard in Mitcham Common this evening and forensic scientists wearing white boiler suits are there investigating what happened.

Your Local Guardian:

Police are investigating the death on Mitcham Common today

Police are treating the death as ‘unexplained,’ and are not treating it as a murder investigation at this stage, a spokeswoman said.

A member of the public called police at 12.45pm reporting the body of a man was found on Mitcham Common near Commonside East.

The area has been cordoned off by police.

Four police vans and a car were parked at the junction with Cedars Avenue this evening.

George Cheovarnu of Pentland Close said: “I’m scared.

“It’s creepy.

“I go to work along here every day and I’ve never seen anything unusual.”

A police spokesman said: “Police officers and an ambulance attended and a man was pronounced dead at 1.12pm today.

“Investigations are underway to establish the identity of the deceased.

“At this stage the death is being treated as unexplained.”

A jogger reported the area around Cedars Avenue and Commonside East had been taped off this afternoon.

A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said they sent a car to the common just before 1pm. She said: “Sadly a person was dead at the scene.”

Did you see what happened? Do you know the deceased? Contact the newsdesk on 020 8722 6336.