Cavendish residents speak of shock after car fire which killed former Met Police chief Edwin Williams
Residents who watched on as a car was engulfed by flames near a village green only discovered that their neighbour was inside after the fire was put out.
The remains of Edwin Williams were found by firefighters in his burnt out Hyundai ix35 next to The Green, in Cavendish near Sudbury, on Saturday morning.
It is believed that Mr Williams, who was aged in his 70s, deliberately set fire to his car after parking it beside his neighbours' homes and cars, which were badly damaged in the blaze.
A resident told Suffolk News that villagers had originally believed that an empty car had been torched but that the dark reality became known after firefighters extinguished the flames.
"People were just sort of standing there watching and none of them knew he was in the driver's seat. The thought of it makes me feel sick," she said.
"As far as I know, he was only found after the fire crews actually put the fire out."
She added: "It is a massive shock to everyone. Anything horrible like that is going to shock people."
The former Met Police chief, who led investigations into child abuse and murder before retiring in 1995, had been involved in a number of disputes with his fellow villagers since moving to Cavendish in 2004.
Prior to his death, Mr Williams sent a series of letters to church officials about the noise of the bells at the nearby St Mary the Virgin Church.
In an open letter written in 2017, following a three-hour bell ringing peal to commemorate a soldier who died in the First World War, he said: "Living near the church, I do not expect freedom from bells ringing.
"However, when a three-hour session blights my comfort and amenity, I intend to complain loudly and in the strongest possible terms.
"I personally lost eight uncles during the Second World War, and doubt very much that I would be allowed a three-hour bell ringing session to celebrate their sacrifice.
"In my opinion, this is just an excuse for additional bell ringing practice and amounts to selfish and inconsiderate conduct."
But a resident told Suffolk News that the sound of bells had not been heard in the village for more than a year, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Williams is also said to have feuded with neighbours over various other village issues, including residents parking in front of his house.
Witnesses said they heard an 'enormous bang' at around 7.30am on Saturday before seeing the pensioner's car engulfed in 30ft flames.
Suffolk Police said Mr Williams' death was not being treated as suspicious.
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