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Victim of chauffeur job scam at risk of losing his home

One of the victim’s of Mark Shortland, who was jailed in September for offering fake chauffeur jobs, is now at risk of losing his home after he quit his job to take up the new position offered by the conman.

Ian Fawsitt from Gotham, Nottinghamshire, fell victim to the scam after applying for a job he saw advertised on the Directgov website in April. After attending an interview in May, Mr Fawsitt was offered the position of chauffeur with Mark Shortland.

Having been made an offer of work, Fawsitt handed in his notice at the chemical cleaning company where he was employed at the time. Fawsitt also handed over £100 to the Shortland which he was told was a deposit for the keys to the luxury BMW he would be using to chauffeur high profile names such as Simon Cowell.

After the start date for Fawsitt’s his new job came and went and he was unable to get in touch with Shortland, he decided to contact police. It was at this point he realised he’d been duped into quitting his job, and he was among 30 other people who’d also been caught out by the scam.

The news couldn’t have come at a worse time as Mr Fawsitt’s wife is about to give birth to the couple’s first child. Now Fawsitt is left jobless, and says he’s lost thousands of pounds, his car, and to top it all he’s now facing the prospect of losing his home.

43-year-old conman Mark Shortland made £100,000 from his victims by offering fake chauffeur jobs. He was convicted at Sheffield Crown Court after admitting six charges of theft, three counts of fraud, and one charge of obtaining services by deception. Shortland is now serving a three year jail sentence for his crimes.

by Anita KumarOctober 4, 2010no comment

BMW to recall thousands of cars due to braking fault

Luxury car manufacturer BMW will recall almost 350,000 cars worldwide after a fault in the power braking system was uncovered.

The German car maker has been quick to assure customers that the fault is not dangerous and no injuries or accidents have been reported as a result of the problem.

The cars which are due to be recalled include the V8 and V12 engine BMW 5,6 and 7 series, plus approximately 5,800 vehicles built by Rolls Royce in the UK between July 2001 and November 2009.

The fault was detected from feedback received from routine servicing on the vehicles. BMW decided to launch a voluntary recall off the back of these findings.

In the UK some 11,427 vehicles including almost a thousand Rolls Royce vehicles are thought to be affected, while 198,000 cars in the US are expected to be recalled as a result of the braking fault.

The fault in the power braking system could cause a small leak, however if this does occur the car will lose some braking power, however it will still be able to stop. The recall is completely voluntary, with the issues being remedied by simply changing a part on the braking system.

BMW car owners who may be concerned that the recall notice affects their vehicle have been advised to call BMW Customer Services for advice on the next steps to be taken.

by Andrew LloydOctober 1, 2010no comment

Jaguar reveals first glimpse of its electric sports car

Luxury car manufacturer Jaguar gave motoring fans a first look at their electric sports car the CX75 at the Paris Auto Show.

The electric powered 2-seater sports car is crafted from lightweight aluminium and has a range of 68 miles on a 6 hour charge. However the engineers at Jaguar have come up with a concept to help extend the battery life. By installing gas turbines to the new sporty Jag, the battery life can be lengthened so as to extend the car’s range to an impressive 560 miles.

The sleek sports car doesn’t disappoint when it comes to performance on the road. The Jaguar CX75 has a top speed of 204 mph and hits 62mph in 3.4 seconds, and furthermore it takes the new car just 2.3 seconds to go from 50-90mph.

Lithium-ion batteries help power the new concept car, plus electric motors have been installed on each wheel to produce a combined output of 780 bhp.

Jaguar has pulled out all the stops to create an interior which reflects the contemporary and stylish concept of the new ride. With cool white and grey leather upholstery and a state of the art TFT screen, as seen in the latest XJ Sedan, this sports car is the epitome of sleek elegance.

Is the new CX75 the future of motoring? Jaguar certainly seems to think so.

by Anita KumarSeptember 30, 20101 comment

Female vandal targets luxury cars in US

A 30-year-old woman is being held on $1 million bail after she was arrested on Saturday for the seventh time since June on suspicion vandalising a luxury cars.

As yet the attacks in which expensive cars such as Mercedes-Benz models and BMW vehicles have had their sides scratched with a key, appear to be motiveless. It is not known if the owners of the cars are known to the defendant although it would seem the attacks are random.

The latest arrest came over the weekend in the car park of a shopping mall at Westfield Valley Mall. San Jose Police arrested Nancy Chi Ni on suspicion of vandalising three cars parked in the area including a BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, and Honda CRV. Ni will also face charges for committing a felony while on bail.

Police say that on several occasions a pair of sharp scissors has been found on Ni following an arrest.

Earlier in the month Ni was arrested after an officer witnessed her scratching the side of a Mercedes car in Milpitas. The defendant is currently facing 18 charges of felony vandalism, plus a further five charges in separate cases. Another two charges are still pending against the woman.

All of the vehicles damaged in the latest spate of vandalism attacks have all been high end luxury cars.

Ni is reported to drive a black 2009 Mercedes-Benz.

by Andrew LloydSeptember 29, 2010no comment

Driver sheds the pounds to fit in new sports car

After shelling out £14,000 on her dream sports car, Rebecca Kelly was gutted when a few weeks into the ownership of her new car, she discovered she could no longer fit in it.

Tipping the scales at 20 stone, 37-year-old Rebecca was devastated when she failed to get her seatbelt to close across her. The call centre worker headed to Halfords to invest a in a seat belt extender to remedy the problem, but was told this would be illegal.

With a shiny Daihatsu Copen convertible sitting on her drive and no way of getting behind the wheel, Rebecca decided something drastic had to done.

In a desperate bid to get back behind the wheel, Rebecca ditched the kebabs, chocolate, alcohol and chips and headed straight to Weight Watchers to start a low calorie diet. After sticking to the new healthy lifestyle and pounding the treadmill several times a week for 18 months, car lover Rebecca succeeded in losing 9 stone in weight and slimming down to a size 12.

Thrilled with her new slim-line frame, Rebecca wasted no time in getting back behind the wheel of her red sports car. Her speedy red Daihatsu can achieve 0-62mph in 9.5 seconds and has a retractable hard top roof which comes down in just over 20 seconds and boasts alloy wheels and air conditioning.

Thanks to her great new look, Rebecca from Neath in South Wales now says she’s drawing as many admiring glances as her shiny sports car.

by Susan TaylorSeptember 28, 2010no comment

Rare sports car owned by James Bond writer sells for 80K

A rare sports car which once belonged to the writer Ian Fleming who is famed for creating the character of James Bond, sold for £80,000 when it went under the hammer at Bonham’s auction in West Sussex last Friday.

There was a great deal of interest in the vintage car, and not just because of its connection with the author Ian Fleming. The 1962 AC Aceca Coupe is one of only 6 surviving ford powered Aceca cars in the world, and so many motoring enthusiasts were keen to get their hands on the rare item.

The eye-catching sports car was bought from new by the author and was delivered directly to Fleming from the Thames Ditton Factory in 1962. The midnight blue convertible also features red leather upholstery adding a touch of 60’s glamour to the luxurious ride.

Fleming bought the top of the range sports car at the peak of his writing career, the same year in which his novel The Spy Who Loved Me, was published.

Another vehicle with a famous former owner which went under the hammer at last week’s auction was a 1988 Jaguar convertible once owned by the Duchess of York. The sporty number sold for £23,000 at the Bonham’s sale.

by Andrew LloydSeptember 22, 2010no comment

Rise in car hire bookings

According to recent statistics collected by carrentals.co.uk the last 12 months has seen an increase in the number of people taking out car hire services. The news is particularly encouraging as the car rental industry was braced for a difficult year in light of the current economic downturn.

The study used figures taken from the peak summer holiday season, namely July and August 2009 and 2010. The results showed that despite a 9% rise in the cost of car hire during this period, more people chose to hire a rental vehicle when compared to the previous year.

The rise in car hire rates has been caused partly by the banks. With banks feeling reluctant to lend to businesses, some car hire companies are struggling with funding which has pushed up the cost of hire for rental customers.

The tourism industry was bracing itself for a tough couple of years as the credit crunch and the after affects continued to be felt across the UK and Europe. However research has found that people have not stopped taking vacations, but they have changed the way they holiday. Fewer holidaymakers are choosing to fly to their destination, many instead opting for travel by ferry or car hire in order to cut down costs.

The Managing Director at carrentals.co.uk says that the importance of finding an affordable deal on car hire has never been greater which means price comparison websites are becoming increasingly popular as holidaymakers attempt to hunt down the cheapest deal possible for travel.

by Simon BerrySeptember 21, 2010no comment

Sports car crashed by police officers after arresting the vehicle’s driver

Two police officers have been suspended pending an investigation after a sports car belonging to a drink drive suspect was written off.

It’s understood that the policemen took the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V111 for a spin while waiting for the vehicle recovery truck to arrive. The pair had earlier arrested the driver of the bright yellow sports car on suspicion of drink driving after witnessing the vehicle being driven in an erratic manner.

The suspect was taken away by traffic officers while the two policemen waited for recovery vehicle to collect the luxurious car.

The high powered sports car, which is capable of reaching speeds of up to 175 mph and achieves 0-60mph in just 4.8 seconds, was found upturned in the garden of a luxury home in Hale, Greater Manchester with the two police officers inside.

The car had smashed through two gardens and has reportedly been written off. The two police officers were said to be shaken following the accident, but had only sustained minor injuries.

GMP’s Professional Standard Unit is carrying out an investigation into the incident. Enquiries will centre on whether or not the two police officers were authorised to move the yellow sports car.

The 23-year-old driver of the Mitsubishi remains in custody.

by Anita KumarSeptember 20, 2010no comment

Aston Martin driven by James Bond to go under the hammer

A 1964 Aston Martin driven by James Bond in the classic movies Goldfinger and Thunderball is expected to fetch $5 million when it goes under the hammer at Sotheby’s “Automobiles of London” auction next month.

The Aston Martin DB5 has been on display in New York this week to give potential American buyers the chance to see the famous ride up close before the auction takes place in London on October 27^th.

The vintage car is one of a pair of Aston Martins used in the filming of the James Bond films starring Sean Connery. The luxurious sports car still offers all of the famous James Bond gadgets which are operated from a switch on the armrest. The mighty car is fully equipped with front mounted machine guns, bulletproof windscreen, a smoke screen, nail spreader, oil slick sprayer and a revolving number plate to cater for all the needs of a top secret agent.

The second identical Aston Martin used in the filming of the two Bond movies was stolen in 90’s and Sotheby now believe the car no longer exists.

Proceeds from the sale of the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 will be donated to the Jerry Lee Foundation which helps those affected by crime and poverty in countries across the world.

by Simon BerrySeptember 17, 2010no comment

Complaints over FA spending on chauffeur driven limos for players

The Football Association will this week reveal its accounts after complaints have been made in regard to spending on luxurious chauffeur driven cars for players, while backroom staff and non-playing employees are being forced to make spending cuts.

FA councillors have voiced objections to the use of chauffeur driven limousines for junior England players. Football players from the under 16 squad up, and including women’s team players, are all provided with cars and drivers to transport them to and from games, according to the FA councillors.

FA staff argue that money is being wasted unnecessarily as each player is allocated a car and chauffeur each, even when players are being transported from the same area.

The main gripe of the FA backroom staff is that they’ve been forced to make cut backs across the board to save money, however the players have remained completely unaffected by the spending cuts. Although they agree the senior England Squad need to receive the highest level of care, they protest over the same use of luxury transport for junior teams.

A spokesperson for the FA has defended the use of chauffeur driven car hire for England players, explaining that the organisation has a duty of care to ensure that all footballers are returned back to their clubs as quickly and safely as possible after carrying out England duty. They added that car sharing is in practice wherever possible.

by Anita KumarSeptember 14, 2010no comment

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