Hyde Park murder: Police name man killed near London tourist hotspot

Detectives are yet to determine a cause of death beyond an 'assault', and no arrests have been made

(Getty)

A man murdered close to a tourist hotspot in central London has been named by police.

Officers were called to Hyde Park at around 5.50am on Friday after a member of the public found a man with injuries.

The man was dead when officers arrived at the scene, and detectives launched a murder investigation.

Formal identification has taken place and the victim was Jairo Medina, 62, a professional carer from Chelsea, Scotland Yard said.

His next of kin have been informed.

Officers are exploring various lines of inquiry and are keeping an open mind regarding the motive for Mr Medina's murder.

A post-mortem examination held on Saturday at Westminster Mortuary did not ascertain a cause of death, but it showed that Mr Medina was the victim of an assault.

Police set up a cordon spanning an area the size of two football pitches in the park.

The scene was near the mosaic to commemorate The Reformers' Tree in Hyde Park.

The body, which was close to Speakers' Corner, could be seen under a tree before investigators in white crime scene suits erected a tent over it.

At least 30 officers were at the scene at one point as part of the investigation.

The Metropolitan Police said officers are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen something suspicious in the area between the evening of Wednesday August 11 and the early hours of Thursday August 12 prior to when Mr Medina's body was found.

Detectives from the homicide and major crime command have launched a murder investigation, and so far no arrests have been made.

Anyone who witnessed anything suspicious or has information that may assist the investigation is asked to call police via 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.