The body of a murdered woman has been found inside a suitcase.

Police found the corpse in the woods near Dollis brook in Thornfield Avenue at 5pm yesterday.

The victim, a young white adult woman, has not been identified and no arrests have yet been made.

Police are treating the death as murder.

A cordon remains in place and a post mortem was started at 2pm today. 

Neighbours living in Thornfield Avenue reported they had seen police dogs and teams of ten to 15 forensic officers searching the area around the brook until the early hours of the morning.

Joanie Adler, 30, who lives next door to the field, said she had been told by police they were investigating “something sinister".

She added: “Police came down about 3pm yesterday and cordoned off a large area all up the brook and down to the allotments behind my house.

“There were two police cars, two vans and a couple of unmarked cars. They told me they were looking for a needle in a haystack, but it seems they found something.”

Mrs Adler added she had woken up at 3am to find the police teams still there.

Mrs Adler, who is heavily pregnant, said she was worried police would close the road, making it difficult for her to get to hospital if she goes in to labour.

“It’s not very pleasant to have this happen when you’re about to give birth.”

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said she was “shocked” to hear about had happened.

She said: “I walk my dog twice a day along that path over the footbridge. It’s a nice area, you wouldn’t expect something like this to happen.”

Another neighbour said she had been scared to walk on the footpath, which is part of the Dollis Valley Greenwalk, by herself before the incident.

She said: “It’s a very circuitous route with lots of bends and overhanging trees, which makes it difficult to see round the next corner.

“There are often youths hanging around. I’m frightened to go down there.

"I only go during school run times when there are lots of mums around walking their kids to St Mary's Primary School behind the field.

"I won't be going there now.”

Another added she was “shocked but not surprised” to hear a body had been found.

She said: “It’s like its Hackney not Mill Hill. You expect things like this to happen anywhere these days.”