Ex-police chief killed in fireball ‘angry at bellringers’
A RETIRED police chief who died in a fireball had sent “abusive” letters in a row over the noise of the bells in his village church.
He had apparently set his car ablaze.
Edwin Williams, who was in his 70s, was found dead on Saturday in the vehicle beside his £1million home in Cavendish, Suffolk.
The former detective superintendent in the Metropolitan Police had been involved in a series of disputes since moving to the village.
Villagers said that one of the main targets was the 14th century St Mary the Virgin church opposite his home.
Mr Williams had complained that he had been “reduced to a frazzle” by the bells.
Flames
Dr Graham Jenkin, a church warden, said: “We are deeply shocked. There was an issue over the bells and that was dealt with at the time.
“We then did not hear much from Edwin Williams, but recently there was a lot of abusive mail that came from him three years after the incident was sorted out.”
Mr Williams and his wife Jean had moved in 2004 to their Grade Two listed home overlooking the village green, but he lived alone after they split several years ago.
Villagers said they heard an explosion at round 7.30am on Saturday and saw his grey estate car on fire with flames shooting up to 30ft in the air.
It is thought that he started the fire after driving his car to a neighbour’s house and parking it beside their two vehicles – which were badly damaged.
A villager said: “He was always falling out with people.”