CAMBRIDGE, England, April 2 (UPI) -- The body of a British army veteran was found in the back of a van when it was towed away after sitting in a pub parking lot for four months, authorities say.
Cambridgeshire police are now investigating why complaints from the owner of the Lazy Otter pub in Stretham were not connected to a report that Paul O'Brien was missing, the Cambridge News reported Sunday. The body was found Feb. 25 at Charlton Auto Parts in Thriplow.
Annette Gwinnett, owner of the Lazy Otter, said she called police at least three times about the van. She eventually was told police had no jurisdiction because the van was on private property and was advised to call the county council, which eventually arranged to have it towed.
"I was the one who found the body and it was very unpleasant and upsetting as you can imagine," Terry Charlton, owner of the auto parts company, said.
After the body was found, police determined a missing persons report filed in January included a description of O'Brien's van and its plate number.
"We did receive a report of concern for the man in January after he had not been seen since November," a spokesman said. "The handling of that report is being reviewed and the findings will be passed to the coroner for inclusion in the inquest."
O'Brien, 42, of Cambridge served in the army during the First Gulf War and did two tours in Northern Ireland.
