Little acorns cause mighty car repair bill

A council has paid more than £2,000 over the past six years in compensation to a family whose parked cars have been dented by falling acorns.

Grenville Way said that both he and his daughter Heidi's cars have been damaged by acorns landing on the roof, bonnet and boot while they were away on holiday.

The combined cost of repairs to the 30 dents this year will cost them some £4,500, said Mr Way.

He claimed he had repeatedly asked Harrow council to cut back the oak which overhangs his drive but despite the authority trimming the tree
periodically since 2005, the problem remains. His Honda has been damaged to the tune of £1,500, while his daughter's Peugeot needs work costing £3,000, he said.

But although the council has met the cost of previous repairs in full, he claimed that on this occasion, it has offered a settlement of 25 per cent for Miss Way's car and half for his. Mr
Way, 60, said that when he complained he was told by a council officer not to leave the car parked in his drive.

"Although we don't want the tree to be removed, it has been causing so much trouble," he said.

"But I think it is incredibly cheeky to tell me not to park my car on my own driveway, when on-street parking is for permit holders only, or full of double yellow lines. Should I park on the road when I go away for a two-week holiday and pay hundreds of pounds in parking fines?

"The council told me it costs £200 to cut back the tree, but it has to spend more than that each time the acorns damage my car."

A spokesman for Harrow said the council could not comment about an ongoing individual claim. He added: "The council spends £250,000 a year maintaining the borough's 300,000 trees for all of our residents and is committed to keeping Harrow, clean, green and safe."