Murder hunt after woman’s body found in car boot

Police acting on intelligence searched a Ford Fiesta on Doncaster Road on the edge of Goldthorpe, near Barnsley, and discovered the body of a woman thought to be in her 40s.

The car in which the woman’s body was concealed was left in a grassy verge in a rural part of South Yorkshire, on a quiet section of Doncaster Road which runs through fields between the villages of Goldthorpe and Hickleton.

The dead woman has not yet been identified, although a post-mortem examination to discover the cause of her death was due to take place yesterday.

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder and were being questioned by police officers last night.

A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “Two men have been arrested and are being questioned by police following the discovery of a woman’s body.

“Acting on information, police searched a Ford Fiesta on Doncaster Road, Goldthorpe, South Yorkshire, and discovered the body of a woman believed to be in her 40s.

“Two men were subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder and are currently being questioned by detectives.”

Yesterday, the car was taken away from the scene as investigations continued.

Forensic experts were examining the vehicle for clues while officers searched properties linked to the suspects.

A motive for the killing remains unclear, although detectives are believed to be investigating the theory that it is related to a domestic dispute.

At least one of the people involved – either the victim or one of the arrested men – is understood to have lived in Goldthorpe.

Yesterday, people living in the village said they were shocked to see the police cordon put in place on Saturday afternoon, and subsequently discover what had occurred in their ordinarily quiet neighbourhood.

One woman who lives in Pickhills Avenue, the street closest to where the car containing the woman’s body was searched, said: “You really don’t expect something like that to happen so close to you.

“The first thing I knew was when the road was closed by the police on Saturday – before then I had no idea what had gone off.

“Then I saw the white tent go up, which must have been for the forensic examinations. That’s when I realised it must be something serious.”

Parents watching their children play football in a park, a short way further down Doncaster Road from where the Ford Fiesta was discovered, spoke of their surprise.

One woman said: “It’s all a complete mystery. There’s lots of rumours going around but nobody seems to know anything for sure, apart from that a woman’s body was found in the car.

“Nobody seems to know who she is or what happened to her. It’s quite scary really, you just don’t expect something like that to happen.”