The car, which had Danish number plates, had been rented by a Brit at Copenhagen Airport only hours before the two men inside were reportedly shot and the car set on fire, according to commercial broadcaster TV4,

“We’re interested in talking to people who have seen the car,” press spokesperson for Malmö police, Kerstin Gossé, told the TT newswire. “It was a black Toyota RAV4 with Danish numberplates.”

The UK Foreign Office told the BBC that two Brits have been reported missing in Sweden.

“We are supporting the families of two British men reported missing in Sweden and are in touch with the local authorities,” a spokesperson told the broadcaster.

The alarm was raised around 2pm on Sunday where emergency services found a car on fire in the Fosie area of Malmö, near an industrial estate. Once the fire had been extinguished, police discovered two bodies. They are now investigating the incident as a murder, although there are currently no suspects.

The bodies have not been formally identified, but police have denied speculation that the victims were Danes. 

Swedish police have not yet commented on whether the men were British, saying that more forensic testing would take place on Wednesday. They did, however, confirm to the BBC that the car had been rented by a British man in Denmark.

Police told local newspaper Sydsvenskan that they suspect the victims had only recently entered Sweden.