A jogger has found a woman's body slumped in the back seat of an abandoned car near Christchurch International Airport, in a discovery police are treating as suspicious.
The grim find was made by a runner on Grays Rd, within sight of the airport, at 8.47am this morning.
Police arrived at the scene at 9am to find the body in the rear of a blue Honda Civic, parked on a grassy roadside verge.
A police spokesman confirmed: "A body has been located in a car ... behind Christchurch Airport this morning.
"An initial scene assessment has been undertaken by police.''
The spokesman said more details would follow later today.
The body is yet to be identified and police are expected to be at the scene all day.
A large cordon was set up at both ends of the rural road as detectives and several police cars were in attendance.
The cordon was slightly relaxed within hours, but was still several hundred metres from the car.
One local farmer, who did not wish to be named, said he noticed the car earlier in the morning, around 8am.
He said the next time he saw it, about 9am, police cars were "swarming'' to it.
The man said: "They were obviously pretty interested in it. They made us all go behind a cordon way down the road, but let us go back a while later.
"The police had parked their cars, and forensic guys pulled right up to the car, but have since parked further down the road. I guess, they are treating it suspiciously.''
White suited forensic experts were seen examining the vehicle in the early afternoon.
Christchurch International Airport communications manager Yvonne Densem said she was aware of the find, but was unaware of further details.
