A body has been found at a disused pub in Forest Gate.

The corpse was discovered during building work at the site of the derelict watering hole Simpsons in Romford Road.

Met officers were called to the former pub, which is next to Forest Gate Police Station, just after 3pm on Friday (October 15).

The premises had been dilapidated for many years, according to a Met Police spokesperson.

Tests on the body will now be carried out and a post mortem is due to be held tomorrow (Tuesday, October 19).

The venue had operated as the Freemasons Arms until the 1980s, when the name was changed to Simpsons, according to The Lost Pubs Project.

Three attempts have been made to renovate the site in recent years. The last bid was refused in 2018 by Newham Council, in part due to a failure to provide evidence of a demand for its use.