Police have cordoned off an entire Kingston housing estate after finding a male dead under a lift early this morning.

Officers were called to reports of a burglary on the Cambridge Gardens estate at 5am today.

Three people were arrested for the burglary, but while there, police found a body in the shaft.

The entire estate has been cordoned off, with officers going door-to-door interviewing residents.

A resident of Cambridge Road Estate said: "I was woken up at 5am this morning by police sirens.

"There were police officers and ambulance crews everywhere. We heard a young man had been stabbed in a lift and had died.

"The police didn't want to tell us much but all of the flats have been cordoned off and the police are standing guard."

A Met Police spokesman confirmed a body was found at the scene but officers were not yet sure whether it was related to the burglary.

A nearby trader said he heard a “big bang about 5.30am which sounded like a window being smashed.”

“Then six or seven guys came running past the shop.

“Fifteen or 20 minutes later police cars arrived.

“Somebody told me there’s been a body found.”

A group of teenagers on the estate were visibly upset this morning but refused to speak to the Kingston Guardian.

A Kingston police spokeswoman said officers were called at 5.38am by a member of the public to reports of a burglary in progress on Cambridge Road, Kingston.

Police attended and arrested two males and one female close to the location on suspicion of burglary.

Police were called again at 7.05am to reports of a male stuck under a lift.

“Police and London Ambulance Service attended and discovered a male underneath a lift shaft.

“The male was pronounced dead at the location.”

A post mortem examination is expected to take place and police are trying to contact next of kin.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission have also been informed and detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.