Islington Tribune - News: Truth of NCP tow farce revealed

Publications by New Journal Enterprises

Home

Archive

Competition

Islington Tribune - by MARK BLUNDEN
Published: 25 May 2007

The Council van being removed for repairs (Photo: London Media)

Truth of NCP tow farce revealed

National papers caught out after mistakenly reporting clamper’s van towed

A PHOTOGRAPH that apparently showed a clamping van being towed away by an overzealous tow truck – from the same company – is not all it seems.
Reports in several national newspapers this week suggested the clamping van had been towed away for parking on a Red Route in Upper Street.
Not so. In fact, the truck was lowering the clamping van into the yard of an Upper Street mechanic because it had broken down.
Anonymous sources apparently told two national newspapers that gleeful passers-by were egging on the tow truck driver.
They suggested a spat between the two drivers and that the clamper van, in spite, issued the tow truck with a ticket.
This was all utter rubbish, said NCP, the parking contractor who runs both vehicles.
NCP polices red routes and has a contract with Islington Council.
A spokesman said: “The picture showed a vehicle being unloaded into a garage but (the press) interpreted it as though it had been picked up from the bus lane.”
The under-the-weather clamping van, which had a flat battery, had been brought on the back of the tow truck from NCP’s Old Street pound and taken to Colliers Garage.
A mechanic there said: “The picture is showing a vehicle being unloaded in to our garage.”
The spokesman said: “No (parking tickets) were issued to anyone, and there was no row.”
But London Media, the firm which syndicated the picture, is standing by their story.
Councillor Lucy Watt, Islington’s parking chief, said: “From start to finish the whole story is complete fiction.
“What a pity neither newspapers contacted us for the facts – the van was not parked in the bus stop, wasn’t picked up in Upper Street or given a ticket by our parking attendants.
“The photo showed the van being unloaded at Colliers Garage, Upper Street, at 3pm on Tuesday May 15, because it had broken down. The garage owner kindly helped the driver to push the van into his garage and can confirm it was never in the bus stop.”

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment: