Police have released this picture, of a Mercedes similar to that which the man was found in

A man found dead in a burning car is believed to have been murdered, police said today.

Officers were called to Chilworth Drove, Chilworth, Hampshire, by fire crews at 1.30am on Tuesday after firefighters who had been tackling the blaze became aware of a body in the Mercedes car.

A police spokesman said: "Hampshire Constabulary can confirm that the man involved in a car fire in Chilworth in the early hours of Tuesday is believed to have been dead before the fire took hold.

"Police are now treating the death as murder and are appealing for anyone who may have seen the car involved, identified as a silver two-door Mercedes C200 CDI, driving in or around Southampton late on Monday night or in the early hours of Tuesday to call 101.

"Post-mortem examination results indicate the body is that of a young adult male, although his identity or cause of death is still not clear."