The body of an apparently South American woman in her late thirties was discovered by a member of the public in a park in Madrid's Usera district soon after first light this morning.

The corpse, which displayed several injuries including a serious-looking facial wound, was found at 7.30am in Pradolongo park in an area known as La Pirámide.

The passer-by immediately alerted the park's maintenance team, who called in the police.