A three-year-old boy and his mother were found dead at a flat in London on Wednesday, with reports that his father killed himself after British police forced entry into the property on Wednesday morning.

Poorna Kaameshwari Sivaraj, 36-years-old, and her son Kailash Kuha Raj, were found dead at the property. 

42-year-old Kuha Raj Sithamparanathan, father of Kailash and husband to Poorna, “fatally injured himself when officers entered the property” said a police statement. He died on the scene.

“Although we are in the infancy of this investigation is appears that Poorna and Kailash had been dead for some time,” said Detective Chief Inspector Simon Harding from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command.

"This is a murder investigation and my team will work diligently to establish the sequence of events that led to their murders and the death of Kuha Raj Sithamparanathan,” he added.

The deaths have sent shockwaves throughout the local community, with neighbours stating that the couple, who are reportedly Malaysian-born Tamils, and their son were friendly and well-known in the building that they lived in, in Brentford, west London.

“I know I speak on behalf of all the officers in my team that words cannot sufficiently sum up the devastation that this horrific incident will have on the families of those involved. However, I can reassure them that we will do all we can to provide them with the answers they need about what has happened here.”

“This horrific incident has understandably caused enormous shock and concern among local residents and across the borough; all our thoughts are with the family and friends of those affected,” said West Area BCU Commander, Peter Gardner. 

“I would like to thank our officers and paramedics from the LAS who worked tirelessly and professionally under extremely traumatic circumstances in responding to this incident.”