

A murder investigation has been launched after a girl’s body was found in a park.

The teenager was discovered by a member of the public in West Park, Wolverhampton, at around 7am on Thursday. She was pronounced dead at the scene and her family were being supported by specialist officers, West Midlands police said.

The park was cordoned off to allow forensic examinations to take place and the force said a postmortem examination would be held in due course.

Det Ch Insp Edward Foster, who is leading the investigation, said: “The investigation is at an early stage, but we’re really keen to hear from anyone who was in or around the park overnight. It’s vital that we speak to anyone with information, no matter how small it may be.”

Supt Harvi Khatkar, of Wolverhampton police, said: “This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the family of the young girl at this terrible time.

“We fully understand that people will be really concerned about what has happened, but we have a dedicated team of detectives working on the investigation.

“Extra patrols will be taking place in the area and I’d encourage anyone with concerns to speak to their local officers.”