A POLICE investigation was under way today after a body was found in the boot of a Rolls-Royce in a Hampshire car park.

Officers sealed off the civic offices car park in Eastleigh after the discovery was made shortly after 9.30am yesterday.

Detectives have confirmed that a 52-year-old man from Eastleigh was found dead in the champagne-coloured Silver Spur parked at the rear of the former magistrates' court.

Today police ruled out murder but did not say how the man died.

They also refused to reveal his identity until all his family members had been informed.

The area in Leigh Road was cordoned off as scenes-of-crime officers carried out a detailed forensic examination of the luxury vehicle and other officers carried out house-to-house inquiries nearby.

A tarpaulin, put up by local firefighters, screened the Rolls-Royce, which had been reversed up close to a hedge, to prevent onlookers viewing the car, close to a recreation ground and Fleming Park Leisure Centre.

The Rolls-Royce, which has a personalised number plate, was lifted on to the back of a recovery vehicle in the late afternoon and taken away for further examination.

Martin Galton, a member of STP Musicals, was attending a children's rehearsal of Bugsy Malone at the Fleming Park and Parkside Bowling Club.

"We got here at about 1.45pm and the fire brigade and police were there blocking the road off at both ends, at the council offices end and also at the sports centre," he said.

"According to one of the officers they found somebody in a car."

The scene of the incident is just yards from the second tee of the 18-hole Fleming Park municipal golf course where golfers enjoyed a day's play oblivious to the tragedy screened off on the other side of a wire fence.

A woman, who worked nearby and did not wish to be named, said: "A young lad came in at about 8.30am apparently and said he had seen a boot open on a Rolls-Royce and a bit later the police turned up and they have been out there all afternoon."

Another woman, who did not want to be named, said there had been extensive police activity in the area since 10am.

"I saw plenty of officers in white boiler suits in the car park which has been cordoned off and I could see the car had the boot open."

The investigation, code-named Operation Oryx, is being co-ordinated at the Western Division Headquarters in Hulse Road, Southampton, under the command of Det Insp Dave Dilly.

A post-mortem was carried out last night at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester by Home Office Pathologist Dr Basil Perdue to establish the cause of death but the results have not been released.

Hampshire police spokesman Det Insp Philip McTavish said: "Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 52-year-old Eastleigh man found in the civic offices car park early on Sunday.

"The man was discovered dead in his car and police are appealing for anyone who was in the vicinity of the civic offices car park either on Saturday evening or early on Sunday morning to contact the incident room at Hulse Road on 0845 045 4545."