Three deaths within a mile of each other that occurred within a matter of weeks are not being treated as suspicious, according to the lead detective in all cases.

Speaking to the Post, Det Ch Insp Tony Kirk said although the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the bodies in Barking in late August and September were “unusual and slightly confusing”, there was nothing to suspect the men had come to harm.

With post mortem examinations now complete, detectives have said they are not looking for any suspects. Their current focus is on identifying a possible connection between two of the men, both found in the grounds of St Margaret’s Church.

Gabriel Kovari, 22, of Deptford, was found on August 28, but police have as yet been unable to identify a cause of death.

They believe he may have known Daniel Whitworth, 39, from Gravesend in Kent, found on September 20. The reason both men were in the borough remains a mystery which detectives are also hoping to solve as they trawl through phone and internet records.

Mr Whitworth was found with a suicide note, although the exact cause and reason of death will be determined by a coroners’ court in due course, while Mr Kovari was not.

DCI Kirk said: “It is unusual and slightly confusing because they aren’t local. If they were local I could understand a bit more so we need to see if there’s a clear connection with the borough regarding the two of them.”

It has not been ruled out that both men were living rough within the walls of the Abbey, which provide some shelter. DCI Kirk said his team had seen clothes hanging out to dry in the grounds.

The first body to be found within the mile radius was that of Mushud Ahmed, 39, from Whitechapel. A post mortem examination has proven inconclusive but DCI Kirk said Mr Ahmed had “no signs of any injuries at all”.

He is also believed to have suffered from a health condition, although police are still waiting on medical records and the outcome of toxicology results – not expected for all men for at least a couple of months – to confirm.

DCI Kirk said: “If we were to take them on their own right, there would be nothing unusual [about these deaths]. We do get sudden deaths on a very regular basis. The issue with this was that they weren’t at an age where we would normally expect it. They also weren’t in a location where we would normally expect it.

“But on the same note there’s nothing, at the moment, suspicious about any of them. None of them have got any injuries or anything that would say to us ‘yes, they have come to harm’. This is the issue we need to look into.”