Northern Territory police are investigating after a group of young people discovered a body in a creek bed in Darwin’s northern suburbs.

Watch Commander Len Turner said police were called to a small creek line in Lyons, between the Royal Darwin Hospital and Garamanak Park on Damabila Drive around 7.00pm Thursday night.

Detectives have been unable to determine the gender of the deceased because of the condition of the remains.

“Police have established a crime scene and detectives will be there this morning with forensics,” Commander Turner said.

“At this stage it’s still very early … we’ll probably get a better idea of what’s happened sometime this morning.”

Marj Plant, who lives near where the body was found, was shocked by the discovery. Photo: ABC News/Sowaibah Hanifie

Detectives began interviewing residents in the area about 9.00pm Thursday.

Marj Plant lives a few metres from Garamanak Park where the body was found and said she was shocked about the incident.

“It’s an area where there’s a lot of people do exercise, so it is a busy area,” Ms Plant said.

She said police often patrolled the streets near her house, a few metres from the Royal Darwin Hospital, because people slept rough in the parklands.

Kat Nestler, who also lived nearby, said the discovery made her anxious.

“It’s normally a very nice area, very quiet, nice houses and decent people,” Ms Nestler said.

“You do need to be careful when you walk on the street that you can be at the wrong spot at the wrong time. It’s a bit scary.”

Forensic detectives are at the scene and police hope to know more sometime on Friday. Photo: ABC News/Michael Franchi

-ABC