AA issue warning on "frost-jacker" thieves

The AA has warned drivers to beware of "Jack Frost car jackers" - opportunist thieves who take vehicles which have been left unattended with the engines running, as owners leave them to de-ice while returning inside their homes.

Following a spate of thefts in the Warwickshire and Surrey areas, it emerged yesterday that three cars were stolen across Greater Manchester in just 20 minutes under the same circumstances.

Insurance companies are unlikely to pay out in such cases and drivers are being warned of further gangs of 'frost-jackers' on the prowl as temperatures plummet.
Supt Mark Bell said: 'People can be tempted to leave their car engine

'However, it only takes a few seconds for a thief to steal a car when the keys have been left in the ignition.
'Motorists should also remember that insurance companies may not pay out if vehicles are stolen after being left unattended with the keys in the ignition.
'It is not only high-powered vehicles that are targeted. Our advice to all drivers is to stay in their vehicle when defrosting and if at any time they need to leave the car, to make sure they lock it, remove any valuables and take the keys with them."

OAP loses £80K life savings by leaving it on car roof!

Heard the one about a Southend pensioner who lost his entire life savings of £80,000 – when he left the cash on the roof of his car?

Well, it's true as it happens!

The 68-year-old - who apparently doesn't trust banks - was in tears as he told how he’d saved £2,000 a year all his working life to ensure he could support himself in his retirement.

For many years, he stashed the money under his bed, but when his guard dog died, aged 12, he had started to put the money in his car.

The man, who asked not to be named, told Mail Online: "My car is never more than 10ft away from me when I am at work so I can keep an eye on it.

"That morning I went to work at about 6.20am and didn’t realise I had lost it until noon.

"I realised I must have put it on the roof of my car. I’m gutted. I have worked all my life and have never been on benefits or asked anyone else for a penny. I don’t have a pension so this was all I had.

"I don’t know what I am going to do now. My grandson helped me look for the bag.

"We found some of the small bags empty in the street, so it’s pretty certain someone found it. I don’t hold out much hope of getting it back.’"

He has offered a reward. As no crime was committed, police can only treat the incident as lost property.

Katie Melua becomes the new face of Vauxhall

She once sang about there being, “nine million bicycles in Beijing,” ...now Katie Melua is learning how to sell a car.

Yes, the Georgian-born songstress is the surprise choice as Vauxhall's new European brand ambassador!

The 26-year-old performer - who was rumoured to have lost over half of her estimated £18 million fortune in the global economic crash - will work in tandem with Vauxhall to push the "environmental protection and sustainability" of Vauxhall's newest vehicle, the electric Ampera.

Vauxhall's Marketing Director, Peter Hope, says of the deal: "Vauxhall is all about being British, forward thinking and energetic, and we think Katie embodies these values. We are passionate about consistent environmental awareness and social responsibility."

Melua was equally bullish about the partnership, saying: “I like the way Vauxhall addresses topics like environmental efficiency and sustainability and I feel very comfortable with the partnership; it’s a great fit,” said Katie.

Since the release of her debut album ‘Call Off The Search’ in 2003 Katie has sold more than 10 million albums with multi-platinum awardsin 13 countries. One of Britain’s most successful artists of the new millennium Katie was Britain’s best selling female artist in 2005 & 2006.

Red-carded Footballer jailed for driving car at referee!

A crazed Sunday League footballer has been jailed for 24 weeks for driving his car onto the pitch and forcing the referee to dive out of the way!

Joseph Rimmer was red carded by referee David Harkness for a ferocious tackle while playing for Lonsdale against Harrington in the Southport and District Sunday League on Valentine's Day.

The 28-year-old was so incensed at being dismissed, he stormed off the pitch, jumped into his car and drove back onto the field of play, causing terrified players and spectators to scatter.

Rimmer admitted driving his car at Harkness on the council-run pitches in Southport, forcing the referee to dive out of the way at the last minute to avoid being run over.

Jailing and banning him from driving for two years, Judge Brian Lewis said, "This was a disgraceful incident."

"You work hard, holding down a job and have got a family, all of which makes this conduct even more inexplicable."
Philip Tully, defending, said: "He accepts that his actions were totally unacceptable."

Christie dodges 'dangerous driving' charge for jungle

It has emerged that Olympic gold medallist Linford Christie missed a court appearance to face a dangerous driving charge - because he is in the 'I'm A Celebrity' jungle!

The 50-year-old was due before Wycombe Magistrates after allegedly crashing his Audi A8 into a taxi on a country lane in Bucks in May this year.

But the former 100m sprint champion had his proceedings adjourned by JPs until next month after his solicitor said he was on a 'prearranged business trip in Australia'

Magistrates have now adjourned the hearing until Wednesday, December 15.

The charge relates to a head on collision with Naeem Akhtar, a taxi driver of Chalfont Taxis, on the A413 near his home in Chalfont St Peter on May 8.

The accident left Mr Akhtar with both legs and arms broken. Christie also suffered injuries and had to be pulled from his £60,000 Audi A8 with its 100 RUN registration plate.

His car suffered hundreds of pounds worth of damage as a result of the accident and Mr Akhtar's taxi, in which a man was travelling to a hotel with his niece and her husband, was completely written off.

Christie is currently in the middle of taking part in ITV's I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and has identified his special skills as 'being very speedy.'

Christie is still the most decorated male athlete that Britain has to offer with 23 major championship medals with 10 of them being gold.

He was also the first European to break the 10-second barrier in the 100m and still holds the British record in the event.

Oxfordshire motorists are biggest gas guzzlers

A new study suggests Oxfordshire motorists are the worst offenders in the country when it comes to driving environmentally unfriendly new cars.

According to the European Commission's Green Road Map of Britain, new cars in the county emit more carbon dioxide (CO2), in comparison with other parts of the country.

While the average new car purchased in Britain pumps out 145.2 grammes of CO2 per kilometre, cars in Oxfordshire emits 168g/km on average.

The figure was 17g/km higher than second-placed Grampian and more than 30g/km above the EU target!

In contrast, Cornwall is the eco-friendly county with an average figure of just 138g/km.

Meanwhile, a new survey by Bosch showed 85 per cent of drivers want to help the environment but just six per cent cite a car’s green credentials as a factor when buying a car.

The EU has set a target for the UK to have new cars emitting below 130 grammes of CO2 per kilometre by 2015.

Poll highlights motorists maintenance ignorance

The majority of males are inept at maintaining their own cars, a new survey by webuyanycar.com has found.

According to the car buying company, as many as 58% of male motorists admit they have no idea how to look after their vehicle or what lies under the bonnet.

In addition, the poll of 1,500 driving men found that 41% do not even attempt to wash their vehicles, while warning lights on the dashboard are completely indecipherable to around 33% of male motorists.

The survey also found that 31% do not want to carry out even the most essential maintenance work, while a staggering 21% even keep away from filling their car with fuel and are quite happy letting someone else do it for them.
In terms of location, the poll found male drivers from Aberdeen are the best at car maintenance, followed by those in Wrexham in North Wales and in Leicester.
Male drivers from Cambridge are the worst at maintaining their vehicles, followed closely by those in Worcester and Brighton.
Paul Coulter, spokesman for www.webuyanycar.com, said: "The results of the survey are shocking. If you take good care of your vehicle, you are likely to get a better price for it when you come to sell a car. You'll also find a car which is in good working order and condition much easier to sell."

No let up in aggressive wheel clamping

Yet more stories emerging of overzealous clampers up and down Britain over the past week.

There has been the case of a Bournemouth garage owner who saw three of his cars clamped by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority ...on private land!

Then we had the story of an RAF pilot in Cheltenham who - only days after returning from duty in Afghanistan - was hit with a £340 fine for leaving his car parked 'illegaly' for less than two minutes to look in a shop window!

Now, we hear about a 20-year-old sales assistant from Southend who was hit with a mammoth £928 fine for not displaying a residents parking permit whilst she spent a 'few minutes' helping her heavily-pregnant friend up a flight of stairs.

All this on top of last week's story which saw Brent Magistrates hand out a jail sentence to a wheel-clamping boss from Uxbridge for breaching the new 'agressive trading' laws.

The saga continues....

Wrong-way driving granny causes motorway mayhem

This is the dramatic footage of an American pensioner who caused havoc on a Pennsylvania freeway by driving on the wrong side of the road!

The 84-year-old was reportedly travelling at over 50mph - to make a dental appointment - and was totally oblivious to the fact that she was driving in the wrong direction.

She managed to avoid being hit but police said that four accidents occurred as a result of the incident, including one car which smashed into a bridge overpass.

Despite motorists flashing their lights and beeping their horns, the woman continued driving on the wrong side for several miles until she miraculously managed to cross lanes of oncoming traffic to take a sudden exit.

Motorist Tim Fleming captured the action on his mobile phone and tried to attract her attention by sounding his horn, but said the woman waved at him to leave her alone and continued on her journey.

"I seriously thought I was going to see people die.

"I saw cars swerving around her, she wouldn't stop and I yelled at her again I waved my arm at her again.

"She waved at me to leave her alone... like, 'I know what I'm doing."

The woman's family said they had confiscated her car keys, while police say they are considering filing charges over the incident.

Motorized scooter loonies and elevator shafts don't mix!

What do you get when you cross some rude Japanese elevator passengers with a crazed lunatic on a motorized scooter?

Here is the answer...

Safety groups step up campaign as nights draw in

Following the start of Greenwich Mean Time, and the loss of an hour's daylight, safety experts are stepping up their campaign to maintain British Summer Time throughout the winter.

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), spearheading the ‘lighter evenings’ campaign, has carried out research which suggests that every year when the clocks go back road casualties rise, and the effects are worse for vulnerable road users such as children, the elderly, cyclists and motorcyclists.

RoSPA chief executive Tom Mullarkey said: “More pedestrians are killed and injured in the afternoon and early evening than in the morning.

“Changing the system would mean vulnerable road users, like children walking home from school, would have an extra hour of daylight in which to make their journeys. It is time for the issue to come off the shelf and for the full implications to be considered.”

Meanwhile, a report published recently by the National Audit Office looking at road casualty patterns between 2000 and 2007 found a significant increase in accidents following the clocks going back. Ten per cent more collisions killing or injuring a pedestrian took place in the four weeks following the change to GMT than in the last four weeks of British Summer Time.
In addition, a report released this month by the Policy Studies Institute suggests that as many as 20 deaths and serious injuries from road accidents could be saved in Scotland alone by sticking at sticking at GMT+1 all year round.
It explains that far more accidents happen during the evening rush hour than the morning one. Many people are tired after the day’s activity and fatigue plays a big part in car accidents.
Any move to stop the clocks going back would have a knock on positive effect on the environment. It is reported that the extra hour of daylight during the peak electricity usage period could save up to 450,000 tons of carbon emissions, as well as reduce the risks of muggings and crime.
It is suggested that 58% of the general public would favour a move to not turn back the clocks.