A woman hid inside a van’s goods compartment after the police pulled the driver over.

Sussex Police roads policing officers said they were perplexed when the woman climbed out of the compartment after they pulled the driver over at 7.25pm on January 7 in Fennel Crescent, Crawley.

A roads policing officer said: “Driver (with two kids on board) pulled over in Crawley just now for no insurance.

“Issued with a ticket and notice that we're seizing his van.

“Imagine our surprise when, just as the van is about to be taken away, the driver's partner emerges from the goods compartment and jogs off.

“She'd hidden in there for the entire time we'd been with the driver. Must have been getting a bit nervous with the recovery truck en route.”

A Sussex Police spokeswoman confirmed: “A vehicle was stopped at 7.25pm on January 7 at Fennel Crescent, Crawley for no valid insurance. The driver was issued a ticket and the vehicle was recovered.”