Police quit over failure to spot body

Two police officers who failed to spot a woman's body in her crashed car were yesterday ordered to resign.

Constables Robert McGee and Shaun Timmins put a "Police Aware" sticker on Sally Ann London's car 12 hours after it crashed at Ridgmont, Bedfordshire, on 16 May, but did not see her inside. She had died instantly as the car careered into a field and overturned.

It was another 36 hours before the body of the 40-year-old was found by the driver of a mechanical road sweeper, who spotted an arm hanging out of the car. Police had asked Mrs London's husband, Les, to go and move the vehicle.

A spokesman for Bedfordshire police said yesterday: "Two Bedfordshire police officers, constables Robert McGee and Shaun Timmins, were required to resign forthwith after appearing before the Chief Constable Alan Dyer in a disciplinary hearing.

"The two officers were charged under the disciplinary code with neglect of duty." They had been suspended on full pay since the incident.

The police spokesman also apologised to the London family for the length of the investigation into the incident.