A 76-year-old woman has been named as the victim of a murder in Croydon.

Nelly Akomah was found dead in a home on Ladbrook Road at 10.40am on Wednesday (June 21).

No arrests have been made and police are investigating the possibility that there was a burglary at Nelly's address, though they have stressed that their investigation is in its very early stages.

Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn, said: “First and foremost my thoughts are with Nelly’s family and friends. Nelly was active in her church and her loss will be keenly felt by many people."

DCI Blackburn added: "I don’t underestimate the level of concern in the local community following this shocking incident and there are various suggestions circulating about what may have happened.

"At this stage, we are investigating the possibility that there was a burglary at Nelly’s address. I must stress that our investigation is in its very early stages and we are working to establish what exactly has happened."

Police were called to the scene by the London Ambulance Service after Nelly was found dead in the house.

A post-mortem is set to take place today (June 22).

DCI Blackburn said: "I want to reiterate my appeal to the wider public. We need to know what led to Nelly’s sad death.

"If you haven’t already spoken to officers and you have information, footage or anything that could help our investigation please do so without delay.

"Were you in the area of Ladbrook Road, Croydon during the evening of the June 20 between 10pm and midnight? Do you have any dash cam footage? Did you see anyone else in the area or any activity that you thought may be out of the ordinary?

"If you can help, we need to hear from you.”

Chief Superintendent Andy Brittain, responsible for policing in Croydon, said: “This is an incredibly heart-breaking incident and my thoughts are with Nelly’s family and friends.

"For the wider community, I know you will be concerned, feeling uneasy and have a lot of questions about what happened.

“I want to reassure Nelly’s family and the community that the investigation team are working diligently to establish the facts.

"People in the local area will see an increased police presence over the coming days and I would encourage anyone to come forward and speak to them to share information or to raise any concerns they may have.

“I am conscious that there has been speculation on social media and possibly shared in the local community.

"I appreciate that such speculation is an inevitable part of a police investigation of this nature. While I am in no doubt that many people are acting in good faith, I want to ask people to think of Nelly’s family who may read what is posted online.

"Some of the details posted will no doubt add to what is already an incredibly distressing time for them. I would also remind people that detectives are still working to gather information about what exactly has happened.”