third body has been found within a few hundred yards of where two men were found dead by the side of a road.

West Yorkshire Police said the body was discovered by firefighters on Holme Lane, in the Holme Wood area of Bradford, just after 6.30am on Thursday.

The discovery was made across fields from where the bodies of two unidentified young men were found dumped on New Lane, near Tong, on Tuesday evening.

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A spokesman said it is too early to say whether the deaths are linked.

The spokesman said officers were called to the scene at 6.31am. He confirmed the call was made by firefighters who had been dealing with a fire in the area.

"We're currently working to establish the circumstances surrounding it. We're examining whether there is any link between the incidents. At this stage we're unable to establish any connection."

Detectives launched a murder inquiry on Wednesday after the bodies of two men were found dumped on New Lane, Bradford, just a mile or two from the suburbs of the city. The bodies were discovered by a passing motorist shortly before 10.30pm on Tuesday.

The two victims were aged in their mid 20s to 30s and officers are trying to establish their identities. No weapons have been recovered and detectives would not comment on reports that the two men had been beaten.

The area where the first two bodies were found is open countryside - green meadows with pockets of woodland - just a mile or two from the suburbs of south Bradford. Locals speculated that the bodies may have been dumped.

Alice Avery said: "It's a quiet area. So you just don't know what goes on at night-time round here, do you?"