Police were called to reports of a dead body inside an abandoned car in Sussex on Friday morning. Locals claimed the car had been parked on the industrial estate in Crawley for up to eight months, and had reported it as abandoned to the council multiple times.

Crawley Borough Council (CBC) left a warning sign on May 19 that the car would be towed within seven days. However, it is reportedly understood that a recovery driver alerted police to a possible body inside the vehicle on June 6, when they came to collect it. Forensic officers were pictured on Friday morning examining the car with a cordon in place at Whittle Way, which is just over a mile from Gatwick Airport.

The warning notice issued by the council said that the car was untaxed, but according to the Government's online vehicle tax checker, it appears to be taxed until January 1, 2026. The MOT appears to be valid until November 25 this year.

Sussex Police said on Saturday the death is not currently being treated as suspicious, and a report will be prepared by the coroner.

It's unclear how long the remains had been inside, although locals said on the dust-covered vehicle had been there as far back as October.

One person wrote: "I reported it about four months ago but the council only put stickers on it - but it has been there for eight months now."

Another person claimed it had been there "since before Christmas".

A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: "Police were called to Whittle Way in Northgate, Crawley, at around 10.30am on Friday, 6 June, to reports of a body found in a vehicle.

"Enquiries are ongoing to identify the individual and establish the full circumstances of the situation."