by John Prince
A Land Rover that had been dumped on a landowner’s field for almost three months has finally been taken away.
The car was first reported to police in June, and the Gazette has been following its progress since the beginning of July.
Landowner Liz Clapham has said since that time she had contacted Humberside Police and East Riding Council on numerous occasions to try to get it removed, but no one came to move it.
Sometime overnight on Friday, September 12, it was burned out after standing near the roadside for weeks (see below).
It had also attracted further antisocial behaviour as youths on mopeds were spotted and photographed next to the gutted carcass.
It was reported as arson the next day, but the following Wednesday Liz contacted the Gazette saying she had received a message from the police that the investigation had been closed.
Humberside Police confirmed this, saying: “All lines of inquiry have been explored, and it has been closed as there is no CCTV or witnesses.”
They added that if further evidence came to light, then it would be reopened and investigated. They also said inquiries were ongoing around the car’s removal.
East Riding Council issued a statement last Friday just before the car disappeared saying: “The vehicle keeper is aware of the location of the vehicle and both the police and council expect the keeper to arrange recovery of it.
“In the event that the keeper does not remove the vehicle, the council may deem it to be abandoned and remove it.
“Abandoning a vehicle is a criminal offence and further action would be considered, should the council have to remove it.”
It’s now gone, but neither authority has confirmed who actually moved it.
Liz had said she was “annoyed and disappointed” that the Land Rover had not been removed earlier, and said she felt she had been going back and forth between the police and council for weeks with nothing being done to take it off her land.
The Gazette’s story about Liz’s plight had made national news after a local media outlet eventually found out about it.
It has since featured on Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine show, with the presenter describing the situation as a “bureaucratic blame-game”.