Police have arrested three people in connection with the murder of an Asian teenager found dead in a park.

Two 15-year-old boys and a 20-year-old man will be questioned at stations across West Yorkshire as part of the murder inquiry, police said.

It is feared Amar Aslam, 17, could have been the victim of racist violence.

West Yorkshire Police launched a murder inquiry after the body was found in a walled garden in Crow Nest Park, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, on Sunday night.

A post-mortem examination completed on Monday afternoon showed Amar died as a result of head injuries sustained in what police called a "sustained and brutal" attack.

His death came amid reports of running battles between two gangs of youths in the park on Sunday afternoon.

A source close to the victim's family said the bank holiday had been marred by violence between warring gangs.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said earlier: "We are looking at whether anything else happened in the park yesterday and if it did whether he was involved in it."

Detective Superintendent Chris Thompson said it was not yet known exactly how the boy died ahead of a post mortem and appealed for witnesses to come forward.

He said: "As it was a sunny day it was very busy and there was a large number of young people in the park."

Mr Thompson said the boy, who was wearing white tracksuit bottoms, black trainers, and a Bench top, was found in the garden by two members of the public who rang for an ambulance.

Dewsbury MP Shahid Malik, who lives near the scene of the murder, appealed for calm following the killing, saying: "It is crucial that people put their faith in the police and not jump to any conclusions."

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