A BODY fell from the rear of a funeral van in New Road in Chatham today.

The driver of a Co-op mortuary van was unaware he had spilled the corpse out of the back of his vehicle and drove away from the area. The incident happened shortly before midday.

A motorist spotted the corpse lying in the road and called the police who sent two patrol cars to the scene.

Shortly afterwards the black Volkswagen mortuary van returned to New Road and the corpse - by this time hidden under a mauve tarpaulin between two police cars on the pavement - was carried into the back of the van.

Two undertakers, dressed in black suits, were interviewed by police for some 20 minutes before leaving the scene with the body safely secured in the back. A spokesman for the Co-op refused to comment.