Curse of the High Top

[Stormproof]

Driver flees after slicing off van's roof at store's barrier





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View GalleryBy DOUGLAS WALKER and ADAM MORRIS
A DRIVER sliced his van's roof off on a barrier at an Edinburgh supermarket car park before dumping the vehicle and making off.

Stunned shoppers looked on as the man drove the former Royal Mail van into the two-metre high obstruction at the car park of the Tesco store at Canonmills.

After reversing the vehicle out and half mounting the pavement, the driver jumped out and ran away.

Police arrived on the scene and eventually towed the X-registered vehicle away. Police today confirmed they were still searching for the driver.

The incident happened on Saturday lunchtime. Alison Campbell, 25, had just finished her shopping when she saw the commotion ahead of her. She said the spectacle turned heads in the surrounding area as customers and staff at the supermarket in Broughton Road tried to establish what was unfolding.

She said: "I was coming out the supermarket when I noticed lots of people gathered around a red van which was parked on the road leading into the car park.

"As I got closer I saw the top of its roof had been chopped off and it looked like it had actually been dumped as it was half on the pavement.

"The driver must have been drunk because the van was clearly a lot higher than the barrier – he must have felt pretty stupid.

"The main thing is that no-one was hurt. It's not exactly what you expect when you pop out for some shopping on a Saturday – it certainly provided a bit of excitement for everyone."

She said a witness had told her the driver hit the barrier, then reversed back out, "making a terrible crunching noise".

At this point he jumped out the van and tore off away from the supermarket. Police are keen to trace the driver of the van and would like to speak to anyone who saw the incident. They say the supermarket and the car park are likely to have been busy at the time. It is unclear whether or not the vehicle was stolen.

A police spokesman said: "We were made aware of the incident at Saturday lunchtime when a van was involved in a collision at the Tesco car park in Cannonmills.

"We would appeal to anyone who may have witnessed the crash and seen the owner make off afterwards. Our inquiries are continuing to trace the man."

No-one from the Tesco store was willing to comment this morning. Anyone with information should contact police on 0131 311 3131.