Deputy Commissioner Sir Ken Jones said today he was ‘‘pretty certain’’ the body was three-year-old Gurshan Singh Channa, reported missing from his Lalor home.

The body was found by a council worker at the corner of Wildwood and St John’s roads just before 7pm.

Sir Ken said the circumstances were suspicious and the police were ‘‘assuming the worst’’.

‘‘We are doing everything in our power to establish what happened...but we’re not ruling anything in or out.’’

Gurshan disappeared from David Street, Lalor, about 1.10pm yesterday.

Formal identification of the body will take place later today.

An autopsy was carried out last night, but results were inconclusive and further forensic testing will be carried out to establish a cause of death.

Police have appealed to anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in either locations before or following the boy’s disappearance to contact Crime Stoppers, 1800 333 000 or visit their website here.