Police investigating after the discovery of a woman’s body in Altona

LATEST: POLICE are treating the discovery of a woman’s body on a beach in Melbourne’s southwest as suspicious.

POLICE are treating the discovery of a woman’s body on an Altona beach as suspicious.

A passer-by made the grim discovery beside the Altona Esplanade, opposite a row of double-storey beachfront homes, about 9am today.

The woman is yet to be identified.

Detective Senior Sergeant Stephen McIntyre said the woman appeared to have been burned at the site where her body was later found. Her clothes were singed off.

“We don’t know how long she has been there,” he said.

“We believe she’s been burned in the location ... Not washed up.

Police investigate after a woman’s body was found at Altona. Picture: Hamish Blair

Altona Esplanade blocked off by police where woman found sprawled on sand dead, by passerby @theheraldsun pic.twitter.com/QHhWH2M2Tl

— Tiffany Korssen (@TiffanyKorssen) July 11, 2016

The body of a dead woman has been found near the corner of Maidstone and The Esplanade Altona. Picture Ellen Smith

“However, until we do a post-mortem, we won’t know exactly why she’s died ... Whether there were other injuries previous to her being burned.”

He added investigators were reviewing a list of missing people, but hadn’t found anyone who fit the woman’s description.

“I can’t give an age at this stage, or tell (whether she is Caucasian), it would be wrong,” Detective McIntyre said.

Forensic officers spent six hours examining the body, which was sprawled on the sand close to the tide line.

SES search a park adjacent to the beach where the body was found. Picture: Ellen Smith

Police on the scene where a woman's body was found. Picture: Hamish Blair

It is believed the tide could have washed away marks in the sand. No possessions were found at the scene.

“We’re not ruling out suicide at the stage until after the post-mortem, we couldn’t say ... But the death is being treated as suspicious.”

A local man said he was shocked.

“This is such s busy area usually,” he said.

“Lots of joggers on the beach. I’m really surprised it’s happened.

“It’s a family area, with lots of kids ... Makes you sick to think something like this could happen so close to home.”

The post-mortem is expected to happen later today.

The State Emergency Service is scouring the area for any evidence that could help explain the death.

The woman who made the grim discovery has been offered counselling.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report to www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

Originally published as Police investigating after the discovery of a woman’s body in Altona