UPDATED: A young man is believed to have been murdered before his badly-burnt body was dumped on a South Downs golf course.

Golfers discovered the corpse between the 17th and 18th holes at the Dyke Golf Club on the outskirts of Brighton, East Sussex, just before noon yesterday.

Sussex Police's Major Crime Branch launched a murder inquiry and have trawled missing person reports in a bid to identify the victim.

Detective Chief Inspector Trevor Bowles, leading Operation Trewin, said it is believed he had been murdered elsewhere before being transported to the golf club and torched.

DCI Bowles said initial suspicions that the victim had been mutilated and had a foot removed proved false.

He disclosed the man, possibly aged in his late teens or early 20s, had two tattoos, both on his upper arms, one of which was unfinished.

DCI Bowles said: "I would ask people to put these things together - a missing young man, fairly slightly built who has gone missing in the last few days."

A post mortem will take place this afternoon.

Anyone with information is asked to call Sussex Police on 0845 6070 999 quoting Operation Trewin or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.