A SCHOOLBOY on half-term holiday has been found stabbed to death in a popular children's playground.

The body of the boy, who is thought to be aged between 12 and 16, was found near a social centre in Roe Green Park, Kingsbury on Tuesday morning.

Police were called to the scene at 8.30am after the body was discovered by walkers.

They have sealed off the area and are searching the grounds, which are within a few hundred yards of five schools, including two primary schools and a police cadet training centre.

Although the entire park has been sealed off, police are thought to be concentrating on the smaller area around the children's playground.

The post mortem of the boy, who is believed to be Asian, was carried out at Northwick Park Hospital on Tuesday evening and revealed that he had suffered stab wounds to his upper body.

It is not yet clear when the boy died and police are treating the incident as suspicious. Detectives are currently trying to discover who was using the park and the social centre on Monday night.

A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police said officers were unable to comment any further on the death.

The park is situated in a busy residential area and borders the area's busiest shopping street. Residents had recently complained about problems with youths committing street crime.