Body thought to be murder suspect 'badly decomposed'

By ITV News Correspondent Sejal Karia

I've been told a body believed to be Alice Gross suspect Arnis Zalkalns and found yesterday was badly decomposed and it was suggested to me the person may have died around the time Zalkalns disappeared a month ago.

It is being reported that the man was found hanged and I understand his body was found in very dense woodland and officers had to crawl on their stomachs to reach it. It was a very well concealed and hidden area.

I've also been told police began searching Boston Manor Park a week ago as part of an expansion of the search operation.

As is normal, I've been told, officers did a cursory search on foot to see if there were any obvious signs of a body or any other evidence.

They also identified dense undergrowth and woodland that would need specialist teams to go through it.

Those specialist teams, I've been told, began their work last Monday and they were methodically and carefully working their way through when they came across the body yesterday afternoon.