A car salesman in Sittingbourne fears his business, T Bowles Vehicles Sales, may be forced to close after a wall collapsed onto his fleet, causing an estimated £120,000 in damage. Tom Bowles, who operates from Church Street, discovered 12 of his second-hand vehicles were written off by the fallen rubble.
Bowles, 30, who has been at the site behind Lidl for three years, received an early morning call from his landlord on Wednesday, 2nd July. Upon arrival, he found 20 cars and vans damaged, with 12 deemed total write-offs. He described seeing a Ford Fiesta with its roof touching the steering wheel after being hit directly. Another eight vehicles sustained damage from shunting.
Two of the damaged cars had already been sold, a Nissan Juke due for collection that day and a Mercedes E-Class expected later that week. Bowles had to contact both buyers to inform them of the situation.
According to Bowles, CCTV footage from Lidl indicated the wall collapsed on its own, without being struck by anything. The wall is not owned by his landlord.
Part of the Lidl car park, near the town centre’s one-way system, has been fenced off for safety. The dealership is currently closed indefinitely as Bowles awaits clarification on responsibility for the wall before lodging insurance claims. He anticipates it could take months to rebuild the wall alone, expressing uncertainty about reopening his business.
A Lidl spokesperson confirmed a partial collapse of a boundary wall in their Sittingbourne car park, resulting in a temporary closure of a section as a safety precaution. They stated no one was hurt and the store remains open, with contractors assessing the situation and working with relevant parties.
Source: Kent Online