A determined woman is staging a protest outside a Grantham garage this afternoon (Wednesday).
Victoria Cook, 22, is refusing to move her car from in front of the shutters at Moss Tyres, in Inner Street, until damage to her car is repaired.
She claims that a wheel on her Vauxhall Corsa was not fitted correctly two weeks ago and as a result it flew off as she was travelling along the High Dyke earlier today.
The wheel landed in a bush while the car ground to a halt, causing damage to a brake disc. It is this damage which she feels should be fixed free of charge by the garage.
Victoria, of Manthorpe Road in Grantham, said: “I’m doing this for the safety of other drivers, to make them aware.
“I feel very strongly about this - I don’t see why I should have to pay for the brake disc when it’s not my fault.”
She was not alone in the car when the wheel came off near Ancaster. Two colleagues from the cleaning firm she works for were travelling with her, although no-one was injured. Luckily, her three-year-old daughter was not in the car at the time. Victoria said she also feels lucky that she was not driving at a faster speed at the time the wheel flew off.
Stranded with no knowledge of how to fit the spare, a couple stopped and offered help. Coincidentally, the woman’s father-in-law was said to have experienced a similar problem following a tyre-sitting by the same garage.
Victoria is refusing to budge this afternoon, having parked her Corsa in front of the garage doors. However, a mechanic at Moss Tyres, who refused to give his name, said his work will continue regardless of whether the car is moved.
He said the tyre was fitted four weeks ago and had there been a problem the wheel would have come off much sooner, denying any wrongdoing whatsoever.
He added: “When she came in here she tried to cause a scene, trying to make sure everybody knows I’ve done something that I haven’t done.”
The mechanic said he would not call the police but would instead carry on working.