A woman who was found murdered in the boot of a car in east London has been named by police as they claim she was attacked by “someone known to her”.

Harshita Brella was reported missing by authorities on November 13 after Northamptonshire Police carried out a welfare check at her home in Skegness Walk, Corby and received no response.

Tragically, a day later, the 24-year-old was discovered in the boot of a vehicle on Brisbane Road, Ilford.

A post-mortem examination, which took place at Leicester Royal Infirmary yesterday, confirmed that Harshita was murdered.

No arrests have yet been made, but police said they believe Harshita was attacked by “someone known to her”, although they are keeping an “open mind”.

The force claimed the incident was an isolated one and there was no greater threat to the public.

Northamptonshire Police also approached the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) because of their previous contact with it.

Harshita Brella was reported missing by authorities on November 13 after Northamptonshire Police carried out a welfare check at her home in Skegness Walk, Corby and received no response.

Map showing the location where Harshita’s body was discovered on the road in Brisbane

Locals in Ilford have described the moment police swooped on the car in which Harshita Brella’s body was discovered.

Forensic officers spent hours at the scene of the car and only yesterday removed a tent and the crime scene.

And police asked locals if they had seen any suspicious activity in the area – particularly in relation to the men.

A local told MailOnline: ‘Officers swarmed the whole street and were here for hours. He looked incredibly serious.

“They seemed to be focusing on a car. It’s awful. It’s quite an unsafe area. The poor woman must have been through hell.

“It is deeply shocking. I felt sick. You must have gone through so much pain.

“There was shouting in the street at the beginning of the week. It’s rough around here, so I didn’t bat an eyelid. There’s always drug dealing, attacks and all that.

Another said: “How she got here is a mystery. Poor woman.

“The officers asked me if I saw anything suspicious, they basically asked me if there were any suspicious men in the area.

“They seem to suggest they know who did it. From what they told me, I bet he sounds like a man who knew her. They seemed to want to know about men in particular.

Shop worker Paul Sidebottom, 54, said police spent hours in the street and asked locals for CCTV.

He said: “Our store CCTV showed nothing.

“They asked me if I saw or heard anything. They looked very worried.

The woman’s body was found in the boot of a car on Brisbane Road, pictured, in Ilford

A murder investigation is underway after a woman’s body was found in a car boot near the entrance to Valentines Park in Ilford, east London.

A neighbor at Harshita’s house in Corby told the Northampton Chronicle that the house she lived in was used as an HMO (house in multiple occupation) and at one point last year had 12 people living in it, although it is not currently on the register Council HMO.

The number of occupants has been reduced since then. The neighbor said she believed the house had Bulgarian, Moldovan and Portuguese residents and had been mostly quiet since some noise complaints were resolved last year.

But earlier this week, she heard a commotion: “When that gate slammed, I knew something was up. Someone took off quickly.

“I had heard noises coming from the house and then obviously they just went to their feet.

“The police have been here for about four days.”

Chief Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell of the East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit (EMSOU), said: “Firstly, I want to express my sincere condolences to everyone who loved Harshita Brella.

“She was a young woman in her 20s with her whole life ahead of her and it is absolutely tragic that her life was cut short in this way.

“Detectives from EMSOU and Northamptonshire Police are working around the clock to establish the circumstances behind her death, including the exact location and time frame in which it occurred.”

DCI Campbell is appealing for anyone who may have information about this incident to come forward.

He said: “While we believe Harshita was attacked by someone she knew, we are keeping an open mind and are appealing to anyone who knew her to contact us with any relevant information they may have.

“If you have seen anything suspicious in the last week or have any information, however small, please contact us. We would always rather receive well-intentioned information that turns out to be nothing, than not receive it at all.

Anyone who may have information that could assist police inquiries is asked to contact police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.