A man found crushed to death in a dustcart is believed to have climbed inside a bin to hide from cops, it is reported.
Police raced to reports of a woman and young boy being hurt at a home in Wandsworth, London at around 9.05am on Monday.
A short time later, they were told that a man in his 40s had been found unresponsive in the back of a nearby bin lorry. Despite the efforts of paramedics, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
It is thought that the man was unknowingly tipped into the truck by council workers doing their rounds collecting bins.
Detectives are working to establish whether he deliberately threw himself inside the lorry, and are treating the death as unexplained but not suspicious.
A post-mortem is set to be carried out to provide further details about the man's death.
He is believed to have been hiding from officers at the time, reports The Sun, but sources told the paper that he was not being chased.
No arrests have been made and his next of kin have been informed.
A force spokesperson said: "Detectives from the South West Command Unit continue to investigate the circumstances of the death of a man in Glen Albyn Road, SW19.
"At 09:05hrs on Monday, 10 July, a call was made to police from a nearby address, where a woman in her late 40s and a young boy were reported to be injured.
"Their injuries were subsequently found not to be life threatening or changing. Officers who attended were later informed that a man had been found unresponsive in the rear of a refuse lorry.
"LAS and LFB attended, but the man was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. The death is being treated as unexpected and unexplained, but not suspicious at this time.
"His next of kin have been informed. No other parties are believed to be involved and no arrests have been made with regard to this incident.
"The family have asked that media respect their privacy at this difficult time."
Any witnesses or anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101 or contact via Twitter @MetCC quoting CAD 2095/10JUL.
You can also get in touch anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.