London woman detained on murder suspicion after body discovered in van more than 100 miles away
Police have issued an urgent appeal for doorbell and dashcam footage of a white Ford Transit van with the registration BF18 VNV, as they work to piece together its movements in the days leading up to the discovery of a man’s body inside the vehicle in Leicester.
Detectives are asking anyone who recognises the van, or who may have captured it on camera travelling towards Leicester before Wednesday, 27 May, to come forward. The appeal comes as investigators from the Metropolitan Police, who have now taken over the case, attempt to trace the vehicle’s journey in the hope of identifying the victim and establishing the circumstances surrounding his death.
Discovery and arrest
Leicestershire Police were called to a car park in Garden Street, Leicester, at approximately 5:30pm on Wednesday, 27 May, after a member of the public raised concerns about the condition of the white Ford Transit. Officers forced entry into the van and found a man’s body inside. The man has not yet been identified, and work is ongoing to inform his next of kin.
Following inquiries that traced the van’s registration to an address in Hounslow, West London, a 39-year-old woman was arrested on Friday, 29 May, on suspicion of murder. She was taken into custody in Hounslow and remains there, being questioned by detectives.
On Saturday, 30 May, the investigation was formally passed to the Metropolitan Police, who subsequently established a crime scene at a house in Sutton Dene, Hounslow.
Focus on the van’s movements
Detective Chief Inspector Alex Gammampila, who is leading the investigation for the Metropolitan Police, said the key to unlocking this case lies in tracing the van’s movements before it was found in Leicester. “As we piece together the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident, we urge the public to come forward with any information, particularly if you recognise the van, or think you may have captured it on a doorbell or dashcam footage travelling to Leicester in the lead up to Wednesday, 27 May,” he said.
The vehicle, a white Ford Transit with the registration BF18 VNV, is the central focus of the appeal. Detectives are particularly interested in any footage that shows it on roads or in areas between Hounslow and Leicester in the days immediately before the discovery.
The initial stages of the investigation were handled by Leicestershire Police and the East Midlands Special Operations Unit’s major crime team, led by Detective Inspector Kev Hames. The case is now being progressed by the Metropolitan Police.
How to help
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is asked to submit details via a dedicated major incident portal at https://mipp.police.uk/operation/33EM26I80-PO1. Alternatively, the public can call 101, quoting reference 9873/28MAY, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
The discovery of the body in the white Ford Transit took place on Wednesday, 27 May, at approximately 5:30pm in a car park on Garden Street, Leicester.
