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London Bike Hire scheme customers wrongly overcharged

Transport for London seem to be experiencing a few problems in totting up their customers’ bike hire bills after one man discovered he’d been wrongly charged £900 for repeat late return of his hired bike.

After signing up to scheme in August, Dave Ward from South London had been utilising the new bike hire scheme to travel part of the way into his work in central London. However on several occasions, Mr Ward experienced difficulties when it came to returning the bike, as the green light which should appear when the cycle is returned to its docking point to signal it had been returned successfully, hadn’t appeared.

Mr Ward called TFL to advise them of the problem, however despite this, he was charged a late fee on several occasion, and his fob which is used to release the bike, was cancelled.

14 other bike customers also experienced similar issues with the system, however TFL have confirmed that all of those affected, and mischarged for bike hire services, will receive a full refund. In the case of Mr Ward, he also received £220 in compensation.

When asked if he had been put off using the new bike hire system, Mr Ward said intends to continue using the scheme, and puts the recent difficulties he’s experienced down to “teething problems”.

TFL now say they have a new system in place to ensure customer’s bills are not miscalculated in the future.

Chauffeur job conman jailed

A conman who cheated unemployed people out of money with the promise of a high profile chauffeur job transporting celebrities has been handed a three year jail sentence this week.

43-year-old Mark Shortland advertised his fake chauffeur jobs on well known job websites such as Jobcentre Plus. In total 80 people were duped by the fraudster who tricked the innocent job seekers with promises of luxury cars and company perks.

Shortland, who claimed to be an airline pilot to his female victims, made an estimated £100,000 from the scam. After holding interviews across the country in Liverpool, Luton, Manchester and Castle Donnington, the trickster asked the successful applicants for a £100 retainer as a deposit for the keys of the top of the range car they’d be driving.

One victim described how Shortland, who has 18 previous convictions for dishonesty, told her that she’d receive three custom made suits as her chauffeur’s uniform, a mobile phone, and a fuel card as part of the employment package. Shortland informed the job seekers that they would earn up to £30,000 a year and could expect to chauffeur high profile names such as Simon Cowell.

Judge Alan Gioldsack described Shortland’s crime as “the most wicked of frauds” as many of the people who’d been promised jobs had been unemployed for a long time and had pinned all of their hopes on the chauffeur position which didn’t exist.

Mark Shortland, originally from Sheffield, will serve 3 years in prison for his crimes.

Leading Coach Hire Company to create new jobs in Cardiff

One of the UK’s leading coach hire companies, Coach Broker, has announced it is set bring new jobs to Cardiff as part of its expansion plans.

Coach Broker has reported a surge in bookings ahead of the festive period and plans to recruit new staff members in order to cope with demand for its services in the run up to Christmas. With coach hire bookings for office Christmas parties, festive concerts, and family Christmas parties coming in thick and fast, Coach Broker is keen to recruit up to 10 new customer service employees to deal with the growing number of bookings being received.

From their head offices in Cardiff, Coach Broker operates a nationwide coach and minibus hire service. Using their unique broker system, Coach Broker are able to offer a highly competitively priced coach hire service as they search through hundreds of transport operators in order to track down the lowest deal possible for the customer.

With a wide range of coaches and minibuses to choose from, including state of the art executive coaches with onboard plasma screens and DVD players, to standard size coaches with onboard W.C facilities, to spacious minibuses with air conditioning, plus many, many more, you’re bound to find exactly the right vehicle to suit your needs when you make a booking with Coach Broker.

As part of Coach Broker’s expansion plans, the company is looking to recruit for a range of positions including managerial roles, customer adviser positions, and also web based roles, so if you’d like to join the growing team at Coach Broker, get in touch today for more information.

Ferrari recall their 458 Italia model due to fire hazard

World renowned car manufacturer Ferrari has been forced to recall its new Italia 458 model due a fire hazard issue.

Vehicles made from the end of July 2010 have been taken back to the factory after 5 of these supercars were reported to have burst into flame across the world. One incident was reported in China, another in Switzerland, the USA, and another in Paris where luckily a passer-by was able to dose down the flames with a fire extinguisher before the blaze got out of hand.

In total some 1,248 Ferrari vehicles are being recalled as part of the safety measures. However the owners shouldn’t have to wait too long to get their impressive sports cars back as Ferrari believe they have identified the problem.

The luxury car manufacturer believes the problem has arisen as a result of glue which is used to attach the wheel arch lining. This adhesive is thought to become flammable as a result of the heat which is generated from the exhaust. The fires have typically occurred after the car has been driven at high speeds for a long period of time.

The Ferrari cars, which have a starting price of £170,000, are being recalled so Ferrari can remedy the problem the quickly as possible. Ferrari has announced that those customers whose vehicles caught on fire will be presented with a brand new vehicle.

Top Gear’s The Stig is revealed

After failing to secure an injunction to keep one of the best kept secrets at the BBC under wraps, the identity of Top Gear racing driver has been revealed as stunt driver Ben Collins.

The BBC took legal action against book publishers HarperCollins over their planned release of the autobiography of ex-Formula Three racing driver and film and TV stunt driver Ben Collins.

The 33-year-old driver is the character known by millions for his role on the hit BBC2 show Top Gear, according to the publishers. However the BBC has refused to either confirm or deny that Ben Collins is indeed The Stig.

Mr Collins, who HarperCollins claim has played the role of The Stig on Top Gear for the last seven years, has appeared as a stunt driver in action films such as the recent James Bond blockbuster, The Quantum of Solace.

The former Formula three racing driver from Bristol was in court today for the hearing. It is claimed Ben Collins took over from the original Stig, Perry McCarthy, who relinquished the role in 2003 after his identity was revealed.

For years people had tried to uncover the true identity of The Stig, which is one of the best kept secrets at the BBC. High profile names such as Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher had been linked to the role previously.

BBC goes to court to stop Top Gear’s racing driver The Stig’s identity being revealed

The BBC is taking legal action against publishers HarperCollins over their plans to release a book which will reveal the identity of Top Gear’s resident racing driver, The Stig.

The true identity of the The Stig has been a well guarded secret for years and the mystique which surrounds the hit BBC2 show’s enigmatic driver is something the corporation wants to maintain. The corporation believes revealing the Stig’s identity would ruin the enjoyment of the show for many viewers.

Now Harpercollins are threatening to lift the lid by revealing exactly who the mysteriously figure is in a forthcoming book release.

The two sides appeared in the High Court in London on Monday to battle it out. The BBC maintains that the book’s release would be a breach of confidentiality and contractual agreements, while Harpercollins “vigorously” defends its right to publish the book.

The publishers have spoken out to say they are “disappointed” the BBC has decided to “spend licence-fee payers’ money” on pursuing them through the courts.

The show’s first ever Stig was Formula One racing driver Perry McCarthy who always appeared on-screen in black overalls. McCarthy left the show in 2003 with his identity being revealed in an autobiography after he exited the programme. The new Stig took over the role in 2003 wearing white overalls and a helmet to conceal his identity.

Exceptional 1950’s Jaguar sports car to go under the hammer

A Jaguar XK150 sports car has been lovingly restored backs to its former glory after spending the majority of its life in a state of disrepair.

Bought in 1959 by an American, the owner wanted to take his new ride for a spin. However, his fun with his flash new motor was short lived as he turned the can over after coming to the end of its first trip out on the open road. The driver walked away from the accident unharmed, but the same couldn’t be said for the Jag.

The rare sports car, of which only 724 of its kind were sold in the States in the 1950’s, exchanged hands several times during its lifetime, without being repaired. When a duo from Yorkshire heard about the vehicle, and its interesting past, they decided they would be the ones to finally restore it.

Ray Miles and his step-son Mike Hills run their own car restoration business in Yorkshire. They had the sports car shipped over from the US, arriving in a variety boxes and crates 10 years ago.

After painstakingly restoring every detail of the exceptional car, a decade later and you’d never guess it had spent the last 50 years in a dilapidated state.

With reconditioned bodywork, and a luxurious interior designed to replicate the style of the 50’s, this 1959 Jaguar has never looked better.

Due to its unfortunate first road trip, the Jag has just 500 miles on the clock, making it something of a rarity in the motoring world. This also means that the Hills and Miles team could expect their restored Jaguar to fetch upward of £250,000 when it’s finally sold.

The bulletproof Jaguar XJ is unveiled

The bulletproof Jaguar XJ has been officially unveiled at the 2010 Moscow Motor Show. The luxury saloon features the very highest level of protection without compromising performance or style.

Each armoured Jaguar is made to order so no official price has been announced, although the vehicles are thought to start from £250,000.

The custom made armour which envelopes the new Jaguar is undetectable from the outside. Made from high strength steel with Kevlar backing, the armour even boasts under floor grenade protection as well.

The Jaguar Sentinel design is based on the long-wheel base XJ model and is powered by a 5.0 litre engine. The vehicle’s chassis has been specially designed to cope with the increased weight of the bodywork due to the bulletproof armour. A state of the art braking system has also been developed for use of the new Jag top cope with the vehicle’s powerful performance.

Each customer who opts for the armoured Jaguar will be assigned their own personal security consultant who will work with the client to assist and advise in the bespoke design of their Jaguar XJ. Each vehicle is also fully covered by a 3-year or 50,000 mile warranty, and comes with a driver training service as standard. For the convenience of the client, the armoured Jaguar can be serviced at any Jaguar dealership.

The armoured Jaguar Sentinel is expected to be popular with heads of states, royalty, politicians and even celebrities.

Mel Gibson smashes up his Maserati sports car

Hollywood actor and director Mel Gibson was probably kicking himself last week after he crashed his Italian Maserati sports car into a rocky hillside in Malibu, California.

The 54-year-old was reported to have been driving alone in his car, and was not said to have been injured as a result of the smash. No other vehicles were involved in the accident.

In 2006 the Braveheart star received a conviction for drink driving, however alcohol was not to blame for last week’s incident.

There is a suggestion that the actor may have fallen asleep at the wheel. One of the officers who attended the scene said Gibson had now given a definite answer either way when asked if he may have dropped off while driving his 2008 sports car around the seaside area of Malibu.

A friend came to collect the Hollywood star as his vehicle had to be towed away. It’s not known how much damage the blue sports car sustained, and whether or not it is possible for it to be repaired.

The Highway Patrol Officer who attended the scene said the actor had been able to produce all of the necessary documents, and that he was satisfied that the crash had been a genuine accident. No charges have been made against the star.

The luxury Maserati Quattroporte would have set Gibson back an estimated £80,000 when bought new back in 2008; fingers crossed his car insurance policy is all up to date.

Threat to top Scottish chauffeur’s job after he’s caught driving at double the speed limit

A top Ministry Of Defence chauffeur from Scotland is likely to lose his job after he was caught driving at double the speed limit on a Scottish borders road.

41-year-old Phillip Gower has received a 9-month driving ban as a result of being clocked driving at 125mph on his Yamaha motorbike on a road with a speed limit of 60mph last October.

Driving alongside the chauffeur was his friend, fire fighter Steven McIntyre. 30-year-old McIntyre was caught travelling at 135mph and was handed a 12 month driving ban as a result. The court heard that unlike the chauffeur, McIntyre was not likely to lose his job as a result of his crime.

Gower, a father-of-six, is a chauffeur with the MOD and during his official service he’s chauffeured top dignitaries visiting Scotland. Last year Gower was said to have transported The King of Tonga while visiting the country on official business.

As a chauffeur, Gower’s defence solicitor described him as “first class” and “well thought of” at the MOD.

The two drivers received fines of £450 on top of their driving bans. The court accepted both men’s not guilty pleas to the charge of dangerous driving by racing against each other.

The A704 between Edinburgh and Biggar where the two men were caught breaking the speed limit on their motorbikes has hit the headlines before for excessive use of speed. A motorist was jailed last year after being caught travelling at the fastest road speed recorded on a Scottish highway of 166mph.