Bolton scrapyard men 'wreck' wrong car by mistake

12:37pm Saturday 17th May 2008

VIVIAN Birchall could barely believe her eyes when she saw a salvage company crew had lifted her car on to the back of a truck - by mistake.

But there was worse to come - the vehicle may have been written-off in the blunder.

Workers threaded chains through the windows and crane-lifted the Daewoo onto the back of a low-loader.

The men, from A and C Auto Salvage in Bolton, soon realised they had made a mistake and apologised.

But Miss Birchall is furious. The 41-year-old, of Highfield Road, Farnworth, said: "I'm fuming, it was like something off You've Been Framed.

"I understand that mistakes can happen, but I don't know why he didn't knock on the door and check."

It was Miss Birchall's daughter, Joanne Broad, who spotted the £700 car being put on the back of the truck.

The salvage men arrived at the house at around 10.30am on Thursday. Miss Birchall, who is the landlady at The Flying Shuttle, argued with one of the workers and demanded they put the car back where it was.

They did, but she has been advised that the car is most likely to be a write-off and not to drive it.

She said: "The car they were supposed to be taking was five doors down the road. They just assumed it was the car they were meant to pick up, but it wasn't.

"The car isn't the most expensive, and it did have a dent in the roof, but it was important to me.

"I need the car for work and I often go to the cash and carry.

"That will not be very easy on the bus."

Martin McGrath, manager at A and C Auto Salvage, based in Darbishire Street, said the company had been asked to recover a vehicle fitting the description of Miss Birchall's car.

He said: "The vehicle was parked outside the address where we were supposed to be taking it from.

"It was the same make and model and the member of staff assumed it was the correct one.

"We did not have the registration number because people often can't remember them.

"But the chances of the same model car, being parked in the same place, with a dent in the roof, must be about a million to one.

"We have offered to pay for the damage."

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