Waterlooville minicab firm faces a hefty bill after attack by vandals
DAMAGE Andicars transport manager Mike Voller with a damaged minicab.
A minicab firm has been left with a £15,000 bill after vandals poured paint stripper over five of its new cars.
Staff at Andicars, in Waterlooville, say it would put a strain on the business if a similar attack happened again.
The Hyundai vehicles were parked at a car park near The Pallant, Havant, [edited by admin] Road, Waterlooville, and in Cosham, Portsmouth, when they were vandalised.
The drivers who rent them discovered what had happened when they went to start work on Wednesday morning.
Doug Anderson, sales and marketing manager for Andicars, said he believed the attacks were planned.
‘The drivers of the cars got up in the morning to go to work and then realised they had been damaged,’ he said.
‘We are absolutely furious.
‘This feels like an organised crime against us.
‘You can tell that we have been targeted.
‘We believe that someone is trying to sabotage our business.
‘We are prepared to offer a substantial reward to the person who can come forward with information which will lead to someone being convicted.
‘If these attacks carry on it would cause us serious operational problems.
‘We would have to look at protecting the cars, because at the moment they are just exposed out on the street like any other cars.
‘It would cost us a lot of business.
‘We are a professional company.
‘This is not how we do business.
‘We don’t want to get involved in this sort of thing.’
The firm, which has been going for 30 years, employs 200 drivers and 50 office staff.
The vehicles were part of 100 new ones bought about a month ago.
General manager Joe Todd said: ‘It’s a malicious attack which was uncalled for.
‘We had just replaced the whole fleet of cars, which we usually do every three years.
‘We are asking drivers to be more vigilant and wary of where they are leaving their cars.’
The incidents happened between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning last week.
No suspects have been found and Hampshire Constabulary is investigating.
Witnesses or anyone or information should call police on 101.
Information about the incidents can be given anonymously by phoning the independent Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.
http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/crime/ ... -1-5218857
