A MAN’s broken down car was crushed by a council.

Nick Thompson’s Citroen C3 broke down on an industrial estate, forcing him to leave it parked for about four weeks.

It was removed by Wealden District Council and crushed after it was found to be insecure and uninsured.

But Mr Thompson, a cleaner from Bexhill, said the car had his mobile number on its side, so he should have been contacted.

He said: “The car was there with my mobile number on a large sticker on the side of the car before it was removed.

"I would have moved it prior to this myself if I had known it was causing such a problem but the first thing I heard about it was when I received a receipt for £20 for my car, with a letter stating my vehicle had been declared off-road.

“I am livid that the council felt no need to let me know it was actually going to happen.

“It has caused me a great deal of stress and still I haven’t received any advice or help from the council to regain some of the money I lost when my car was crushed.”

Mr Thompson said the council told him that his car had been crushed because officials valued it at about £500.

He said he thought it was worth between £1,200 and £1,500.

Mr Thompson said he was awaiting spare parts before the car could be removed and repaired.

A spokesman for Wealden District Council said: “Abandoned vehicles are a blight on the district and a continuing problem that the council has to address using the relevant legislation.

“This vehicle was reported as being abandoned on an industrial estate and was then inspected and found to be unsecure and uninsured, so the owner was written to requesting that the vehicle be removed.

“The vehicle was not removed and the decision was made to dispose of the vehicle.”

However, Mr Thompson said he had not received any correspondence at all from the council prior to the receipt showing his car had been crushed.