Nigerian cult link to Thames body

The five-year-old boy whose torso was dumped in the Thames may have been murdered during a "witchcraft" ritual involving spiritualist cults operating in London.

Detectives are investigating claims that breakaway groups from a Nigeria-based "Celestial Church of Christ" may have been responsible for the killing.

The claims came in a flood of 150 calls to police after an appeal for information.

Det Insp Will O'Reilly, leading the inquiry, said: "We have received a very good response from the African community in London and we have some significant information. There are a number of leads to follow up."

A second post-mortem, by South African pathologist Professor Hendrik Scholtz, confirmed that the boy - whom detectives have named "Adam" - was the victim of a ritualistic killing.

So far such killings, known as "Muti murders", have been confined almost exclusively to Africa and this is believed to be the only one carried out in Britain. But detectives now fear it could be the first of a series.

Police are linking the boy's murder to the discovery of seven half-burned candles wrapped in a white sheet which were found on the Thames foreshore near Battersea power station. Callers say that the name Adekoyejo Fola Adoye, which was written on the sheet, is common among the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria. Yoruba form the majority of Britain's Nigerian community.

The torso was clothed in a pair of girl's orange shorts labelled "Kids and Company", Woolworth's own brand in Germany.

Anyone with information should call the incident room on 020-8853 1212 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.