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Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Mystery over body in car outside Gatwick as 'friends' ask locals questions
Residents living by Whittle Way, close to Gatwick Airport, have shared a major development since a man was found dead inside a white BMW at the start of this month Locals who live close to an industrial estate where a man was discovered dead inside a car say his friends have been seeking answers from the community. Police rushed to Northgate, Crawley, after a recovery driver came to collect the BMW and spotted a corpse in the backseat on June 6. His death allegedly prompted his friends to visit the scene and ask locals questions. Burger van worker Ibrahim Italil Cete said he spoke to a group of people claiming to be his friends. He says he had attempted to alert the authorities several times before the man was eventually found on Whittle Way. READ MORE: Everything we know as body found near Gatwick Airport in car 'abandoned for months' He was allegedly told that the man's uncle was on his way back from Norway to try and confirm his identity. 'Apparently he had mental health issues and would go off-grid quite often," Ibrahim told The Sun. The food worker said he reported the vehicle as abandoned on April 30 and had told motorway officers that the vehicle looked "suspicious", but they failed to act on it. Speaking about the moment the recovery worker had found his body, Ibrahim said: 'The person who found him came here first and told us to call the police. He was shaking. He said 'man, there is a dead body in there.'' Another local, who lives just two minutes away from the scene, explained that the road was popular with holidaymakers, due to it being situated so close to Gatwick Airport. Tia Green, 25, said the smell coming from the car was "horrendous". She added: "I'd say he was there for seven months. There was so much dust on the car, even on the tyres. It had been there so long.' It comes after residents had previously taken to Facebook and claimed that the man was living in the car. One person said the recovery worker "saw a man on the back seats, with a blanket over the front two seats to build a 'barrier' across as he was lying on the backseat - most likely was sleeping in the back". Another person added: "A recovery driver came this morning and smashed the back window to take the motor. As he did that he noticed the dead body on the back seats." A spokesman for Sussex Police said his death isn't being treated as suspicious. They said: 'Police were called to Whittle Way in Northgate, Crawly, 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.'
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Mystery deepens over body found in car outside Gatwick – as ‘friends' arrive asking questions after cops leave scene
Authorities ignored alerts from local residents for months BODY RIDDLE Mystery deepens over body found in car outside Gatwick – as 'friends' arrive asking questions after cops leave scene Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE mystery surrounding a body found in an abandoned car near Gatwick Airport has deepened. The unidentified remains were discovered earlier this month inside a BMW which had been left on an industrial estate in Northgate, Crawley, allegedly since before Christmas. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 10 The car had been parked in the same space since December last year Credit: Brighton Pictures 10 Ibrahim Italil Cete, of Full Mony burger van, said he saw the man on multiple occasions before his death Credit: Brighton Pictures 10 Police arrived at the scene soon after the horrific discovery was made on June 6 The Sun understands a group of people claiming to be the dead man's friends arrived after cops had left the scene last weekend, asking local traders for information. Burger van worker Ibrahim Italil Cete told us he alerted the authorities multiple times before the grim find on the secluded spot in Whittle Way on June 6. His Full Monty van stands just metres away from where the car was left. Ibrahim explained last Saturday (June 7) people claiming to be the man's friends approached him to ask some questions. While the body is yet to be identified, they suspected it could be their friend. According to these people, the man hadn't been in touch with his family since September last year. Apparently he had mental health issues and would go off-grid quite often. Ibrahim Italil Cete Ibrahim said: 'Apparently he had mental health issues and would go off-grid quite often.' They also allegedly told him that the man's uncle was travelling back from Norway to try and identify him. Ibrahim, as well as his colleagues and customers, first noticed the mysterious vehicle in October last year. He claimed: 'We would see him drive off at 9am every morning, and then come back again every evening.' Hilarious moment bumbling cops struggle to break down door as mocking neighbours shout 'go on… knock it!' But from December last year, the driver seemed to stay put. Ibrahim said: 'I reported the car to the police as abandoned on April 30th.' He also spoke to motorway officers in an attempt to draw more attention to the vehicle. He said: 'I told them the car had been parked there for ages and looked suspicious. But nothing came of it.' It wasn't until a week last Friday when a recovery driver came to collect the car and spotted a dead body in the backseat, that police were called to the scene. Officers arrived soon after at around 10.30am. Ibrahim claimed: 'The person who found him came here first and told us to call the police. He was shaking. 'He said 'man, there is a dead body in there.'' 10 The car had been parked up since before Christmas Credit: Facebook / Crawley Talks 10 A warning notice had been put on the windscreen on May 19 Credit: Facebook / Crawley Talks 10 Local resident Alex Walker said he was shocked by news of the discovery Credit: Brighton Pictures Ibrahim explained that the man was able to see the body because the right rear window had been smashed in - though it's unclear whether this was done by the recovery driver. He added: 'I would often try and check on him but could never see anything because of the tinted windows. 'No one could see the body because of the windows. 'The man had also put a blanket between the two front seats so you couldn't see through the front windscreen.' This could help to explain why the council failed to spot the body just weeks before when they put a parking notice on the windscreen. Crawley Borough Council put a warning notice on the vehicle on May 19. This noted that the car was "untaxed" and informed the owner it would be towed unless removed within seven days. However, going by the Government's online vehicle tax checker, it is taxed until January 2026 and its MOT is valid until November 25 this year. Ibrahim said: 'Every day customers would bring it up and say 'that BMW has been there for a long time'.' He explained that there were a handful of occasions last year where he would see the man, describing him as a man in his mid-30s and of Indian/Asian descent. When asked if he looked in a bad way, Ibrahim told The Sun: 'No, not at all, he just looked like a BMW driver.' Local resident Tia Green, 25, lives in an estate two minutes away from Whittle Way and was there when the body was uncovered. She explained that prior to the discovery people were curious but didn't think much of it, as the road is a popular spot for holiday goers to leave their cars to avoid paying Gatwick parking prices. But she added: 'No one could believe it. The smell was really bad, it was horrendous. 'I'd say he was there for seven months. There was so much dust on the car, even on the tyres. It had been there so long.' Other local residents were equally as in shock. Resident Alex Walker exclaimed: 'I noticed the car had been there for a while. The news was a big shock.' While Sam Barrett, a worker at a nearby bike shop said: 'All I know is the car was there for longer than I have worked here.' Sussex police said last Saturday that the death is not currently being treated as suspicious, with a report to be prepared by the coroner. A force spokesman said: 'Police were called to Whittle Way in Northgate, Crawly, 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.' The Sun has contacted police and the council for comment. Do you know more? Email: 10 Holiday goers often park on the industrial estate to avoid steep Gatwick parking fees Credit: Brighton Pictures 10 Tia Green regularly hangs out by the burger van Credit: Brighton Pictures 10 Whittle Way is around a mile and a half from Gatwick Airport Credit: Brighton Pictures
