Quiet west London street turns into ‘crime scene’ after body found 100 miles away

neighbors have told of their ‘utter shock’ after a family home in west London became a potential crime scene following the discovery of a man’s body in a van about 100 miles away. 

Police found the deceased in a parked van in Leicester on May 27. 

The white Ford Transit in which it was found was registered at an address in Sutton Dene, Hounslow, triggering a raid on the house on May 29 after the investigation was passed to the Met Police. 

A pensioner who lives on the road told Metro: ‘There were so many police I felt like I was in a crime movie or something. This is a quiet road in a family area; it was an utter shock.’

The witness added that she hadn’t seen any members of the family who lived at the address ‘for around seven weeks’.

Police arrested a 39-year-old woman at the address. Neither the suspect nor the victim has been named by police. 

Forensic teams were still at the property with crime scene tents originally set up in the back garden when Metro visited the area.

Meanwhile, specialist officers are trawling through CCTV and doorbell footage in an attempt to put together a timeline of the incident. 

Another neighbor said: ‘The police were very interested in any footage of movements from the house. They were asking about footage from weeks ago. We are devastated this happened here.’

One of the neighbors added that the home being scoured belonged to a ‘lovely’ family comprising a man, a woman and two children.

The family’s canary was being cared for by police outside the house while forensics officers went in and out with evidence bags. 

A police statement said: ‘ Officers from Leicestershire Police found the body of a man in a parked van in Garden Street at around 17:30hrs on Wednesday, 27 May.

‘Work is ongoing to identify the man and inform his next of kin. The van was registered to an address in Hounslow in south-west London, and on Friday, 29 March, a 39-year-old woman was arrested in Hounslow on suspicion of murder.

‘She remains in custody, where she is being questioned by detectives.

‘Following the arrest, and as a result of other enquiries, the investigation was passed to the Met on Saturday, 30 May and a crime scene was established at a house in Sutton Dene, Hounslow.

‘An investigation to establish the circumstances that led to the man’s death is ongoing.’

Detective Chief Inspector Alex Gammampila, who is leading the investigation, said: ‘I’d like to thank Leicestershire Police for their initial enquiries, which led to a swift arrest.

‘As we piece together the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident, we urge the public to come forward with any information, particularly if you recognize the van, or think you may have captured it on doorbell or dashcam footage travelling to Leicester in the lead-up to Wednesday, 27 May.’

The van is a white Ford Transit with the registration BF18 VNV, police have said. 

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting 9873/28MAY. To remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.