@Puzzles It wasn't necessarily related as a definite, just someone local had been walking in forest few days before and saw what appeared like a sheet thrown over branches as a kind of shelter. He reported it to police when Loughton then became a focal point. Could easily just be a homeless person, but you never know, and the police do ask for all tips however small.
Ah, I get it. Thank you, @MsMiniSleuth.