Police found the body after a garage was set on fire on Surman Street, Worcester, on Thursday morning. Around an hour later, crews were called to another fire a mile and a half away
A 34-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a body was discovered in a burning garage following two separate fires.
Police found the body after a garage was set on fire on Surman Street, Worcester, at 6am Thursday morning. Around an hour later, emergency services were called to another blaze at a community centre a mile and a half away.
Detectives believe there is a connection between the body find and the fire at the Unity House Community Hub on Stanley Road. The deceased man is yet to be identified by police.
Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Lougher, of West Mercia Police, said: “We have immediately launched a murder investigation following the discovery of a body in a garage in Worcester.
“At present we do not know the identity of the man who has sadly lost his life, but we are working hard to establish his formal identification. A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and he remains in custody. The community can expect to see an increase in officers in the area as we conduct extensive enquiries into the death of the man.”
Crime scene investigators were at the scene of the body find, including people wearing hazmat suits, with the area around the garages having been taped off by the fire service.
One resident living by the community centre reported seeing smoke rising from the back of the building. The resident, who did not want to be named, said: “All I know is there was some smoke from round the back and then the fire brigade turned up. All I could see was white smoke. It’s usually quite quiet around here.”
Police have said they now believe the two fires are linked, but have not specified further details. A West Mercia Police spokesperson said: “We currently believe this fire is connected to the incident on Surman Street.”
In the latest update Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Lougher said: “We are continuing to establish the identity of the man sadly found deceased. Our initial enquiries have confirmed he is a white male.
“We are aware of reports that this may be race or religiously motivated and the concern this may cause. There is no information to suggest that this is the case at this time, but the investigation team will retain an open mind as the investigation progresses.”
