'My shock over boy's murder'

The widow of murdered head teacher Philip Lawrence spoke today of her horror at the brutal murder of a boy whose badly beaten and burned body was found in a park.

"Hearing of that murder of the little one in north London, his murderous death, took my breath away," said Frances Lawrence. "I am sure I share that feeling with most people in this country."

The naked body of the boy, who is Asian and believed to be aged between 12 and 14, was discovered face down in Roe Green Park, Kingsbury, on Tuesday.

Mrs Lawrence told Radio 4's Today programme: "Each serious crime destabilises the foundations of a family and everything you have believed seems to be invalidated, and it shatters decency and truth and love."

Meanwhile, detectives investigating the boy's murder believe they are facing one of their most complicated inquiries ever. They do not know the identity of the victim, are not aware of a motive for his death, have no suspects and have found no one who saw anything untoward around the murder scene in the run-up to the killing.

The boy's face was battered in such a way as to make identification extremely difficult, possibly deliberately. Officers were initially unable to work out what race he was. He may have been still alive when his body was doused with an accelerant and burned on the same spot.

Police, who deny reports that his teeth had been removed and his arms hacked off, say: "We simply don't know why someone killed him in this horrific manner. We need people's help."

Anyone with information should call police on 8358 0200 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555