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

Detectives said they believe the woman, believed to be in her mid 20s, may have been attacked on Christmas Eve.

The woman’s body was found near the sports area in the centre of the park at about 4.25pm on Wednesday by a member of the public.

Officers and London Ambulance Service attended, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said the woman’s body still needs to be formally identified and they are trying to identify her next of kin.

A post-mortem examination is due to take place on Thursday.

DCI Nicola Wall, from the Metropolitan Police Service’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.”

No arrests have been made and a crime scene remains in place around where the body was found.