Beach torso: Man arrested over body found in bin liner

Police said the victim had been subjected to a sustained and violent assault prior to his death

A man has been arrested in connection with the discovery of a torso on a Portsmouth beach.

The body, without head, arms and legs, was found by a group of foreign students at Southsea shortly before 17:30 BST on Tuesday.

Police said the body had now been identified and officers were informing next of kin.

A 46-year-old from the Portsmouth area was arrested on Thursday night and remains in police custody.

Detective Chief Inspector Dick Pearson said: "At this stage only a torso has been discovered.

"Other body parts or items linked to the murder may have been discarded in the area."

Anyone who notices suspicious packages, possibly wrapped in black bin liners, in the area has been urged to contact police immediately.

A post-mortem examination carried out on Wednesday was unable to determine an exact cause of death, but a police spokeswoman said the victim had been "subjected to a sustained and violent assault".

Richmond Road in Southsea remains sealed off and a cordon is likely to remain in place for some time, police said.