A dad-of-two in Croydon has said he feels concerned for the safety of his family after human remains were found at a park in Croydon - believed to be that of a murder.

The dad, who wishes to be kept anonymous, is now anxious about going on walks with his family at Rowdown Fields following the discovery.

A crime scene was put in place after possible human remains were found at the Lodge Lane park at around 9am on April 2.

Following a search of the area, police confirmed yesterday (April 3) that further remains were discovered.

These were sent to a forensic anthropologist who confirmed these are human, and they are believed to belong to one victim.

Your Local Guardian spoke to a 30-year-old dad who lives in Field Way who regularly goes on walks at Rowdown Fields.

He explained: “It’s terrifying to hear these things happen right on your doorstep, I usually take my dog for a walk there.

“There’s usually loads of kids playing at the park too.

“I feel so sorry for the person who found the body. I can’t imagine if that was me. Truly, so terrifying.”

Police are working to identify the victim but are not yet in a position to confirm the person's age, ethnicity, or gender.

Samples have been sent away for urgent forensic analysis, with a special post-mortem examination set to take place later this week.

The dad says that he’ll be staying away from Rowdown Fields as he is not sure whether he can “go back again”.

He explained: “I’m not sure if I can go back, to be honest. I have lived here for around 30 years, and nothing ever happened like this.

“It’s a really nice area and I grew up around here and now I’ve got children now, so it’s really odd to hear.”

Officers are still searching the area and a crime scene remains in place.

They say no other sites are being searched at this stage but it will be extended if necessary.

Detective Inspector Martin Thorpe, from the Specialist Crime Command is now leading the investigation.

He said: “As you would expect, my team is working extremely hard in the early stages of this investigation to co-ordinate the search effort and carry out enquiries as quickly and as thoroughly as possible.

“We are not going to give specific details on our search of the area, but I can confirm that since yesterday we have recovered further remains.

“After consultation with a forensic anthropologist, we are certain that these are human.

“At this time, our search is not complete, and so local people will continue to see officers in the area.

“This is being treated as murder, and we currently believe the remains belong to one victim.

“Samples have been sent away for urgent forensic analysis and I anticipate that a special post-mortem examination will take place later this week."

Superintendent Lewis Collins, who looks after policing on South Area including Croydon, said: “This is a very disturbing discovery and over the last day or so, the community in our borough has pulled together to give officers the space they need to carry out this important work.

“We are very appreciative of their support and we continue to ask that speculation on this case is kept to a minimum. We will keep people informed as soon as we have updates to share.”

DI Thorpe added: “Our priority is to identify the victim, but until we are possession of fuller facts, informed by the post-mortem examination we are not in a position to confirm the person’s age, ethnicity, or gender.

"A family has lost their loved one, and as a team, we are focusing on finding them and securing the answers they will need to come to terms with their loss."