Body Discovered in Abandoned Car in Crawley After Months of Reports

olice were called to Whittle Way in Northgate, Crawley—just over a mile from Gatwick Airport—on the morning of Friday, June 6, after a body was discovered inside an abandoned vehicle parked on an industrial estate.

Local residents said the car had been left there for up to eight months and had been reported to the council multiple times as abandoned. Despite this, Crawley Borough Council (CBC) only issued a warning notice on May 19, stating that the vehicle would be removed within seven days. The notice described the car as untaxed, although government records show it is taxed until January 1, 2026, with a valid MOT until November 25, 2025.

It is understood that a recovery driver, who had been dispatched to collect the vehicle, discovered the possible remains and alerted police. Forensic teams cordoned off the area and examined the scene on Friday morning.

Residents noted on social media that the dust-covered car had been stationary since at least October 2024. One user wrote: “I reported it four months ago, but the council only placed stickers on it. It’s been there for eight months now.”

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.”

The death is not currently being treated as suspicious, and a report will be prepared for the coroner.