A murder investigation has been launched following the discovery of a man’s body at the side of a lane in Ilford.

Police were called to Oaks Lane, IG2 at 06:12hrs on Saturday, 2 November after the man, believed to be in his 50s was found unresponsive.

Officers attended with the London Ambulance Service where he was found deceased.

A post-mortem examination held on Sunday, 3 November at East Ham Mortuary concluded that his cause of death is believed to be a head injury.

Enquiries are underway to establish the man’s identity and to trace his next of kin.

Detective Chief Inspector Katherine Goodwin, from Specialist Crime leading the investigation, said: “We would like to appeal to anyone who may have used the road or footpath in the area of Aldborough Hatch Farm, off Oaks Lane on the evening of Friday 1, November and overnight into the early hours of Saturday 2, November.

“It is a route which is very popular with walkers, joggers, dog walkers and cyclists. We need to hear from those who used the path on that day even if you didn’t see anything, as that will help us narrow down the time frame of when this happened. In addition we are very interested in hearing from anyone who saw any vehicles acting suspiciously during this time around the area.”

Anyone with information should contact homicide detectives on incident room number 020 8785 8244 or call 101 quoting CAD 1823/02 November. If you wish to remain anonymous, please contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.