Chelmsford locals have been dismayed by the sight of an abandoned car which has become infested with a swarm of flies.
The 2018 registration Volkswagen was filled with rubbish, according to Essex Live. The insects have been feasting on rotting food and drink remnants left inside.
Among the other debris inside was a Starbucks coffee cup and a sleeping bag
The car has been reported and now sports a 'police aware' sticker.
It is not known how long the car has been parked in the Waterloo Lane car park.
A local resident said they saw "thousands of flies" inside the vehicle, but were wary about getting too close.
On Friday afternoon Dawn Headon spotted the car, which had thousands of insects crawling around inside it.
‘I parked in Waterloo Lane car park before 10am yesterday,' said Dawn.
' I parked beside the car and I immediately saw the flies inside,’ she said.
‘I looked in and around the car. It had several parking tickets and a ‘police aware’ sticker. The car had an 18 reg number plate on it, which surprised me that it had been abandoned. Surely no one abandons a new car.’
You can watch a clip of the fly-infested car here: https://metro.co.uk/2018/08/26/brand-new-car-abandoned-after-massive-swarm-of-flies-descends-7883517/
According to the Gov.uk website, local councils and national park authorities must remove abandoned vehicles from:
- Land in the open air
- Roads (including private roads)
Those who abandon a vehicle may be issued with a fixed penalty notice. They may also be prosecuted.
There are various official criteria for determining if a vehicle has been abandoned, including:
- No owner on DVLA website
- No VED tax
- Being stationary for a long time
- Missing number plates
If the owner cannot be located within a certain period, or does not respond to notices, the car may eventually be disposed of, either by being sold or by being destroyed.
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