Police watchdog to probe death in burning car

THE Independent Police Complaints Commission is to investigate the contact police had with a man before he was found dead in a burning car on a motorway hard shoulder.

The man, who has not been identified, was found in a black Renault Megane which was on fire on the hard shoulder of the M180, near Scunthorpe, on the morning of October 13.

Police revealed that minutes before the incident the car was being pursued by a Lincolnshire marked police vehicle, first along the A15 from Caenby Corner, in Lincolnshire, and then onto the westbound M180.

Humberside Police said last week that as the car came to a stop on the hard shoulder between junctions four and three it was seen to be alight.

No collision had taken place, officers said.

They said officers were unable to rescue the sole occupant of the vehicle as an extensive fire developed which needed to be tackled by firefighters.

The commission said that on the previous day the deceased man had been arrested through use of the Automatic Number Plate Recognition system. He was later released on bail by Lincolnshire Police.

IPCC commissioner Amerdeep Somal said: “Given the prior contact with police, it is right that we carry out an independent investigation to ensure all correct policies and procedures were followed when this person was released on bail.”

Humberside Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death on behalf of the coroner and the IPCC said its investigators will be liaising with this inquiry.