Miscellaneous NEWS

Tank Crashes Into Garden Fence

Published by onlines on November 28, 2009

An armoured carrier more commonly used against the Taliban piled into a suburban garden instead.

The eight-tonne Spartan Armoured Personnel Carrier – which had ‘L’ plates fixed to it – left the road as it made his way through Letheringsett, Norfolk, on Monday, said army officials.

A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said the driver, who had recently returned from Afghanistan, apologised to house owners Phil and Jayne Jones.

She said the soldier was an experienced driver who was learning to drive tracked vehicles such as the Spartan. No-one was hurt and police said they had not been involved.

Mr Jones, 64, a student accommodation administrator, said he and his 44-year-old wife, an opera singer, were both at home when the accident happened.

‘We heard what sounded like a collision on the main road involving a heavy goods vehicle,’ said Mr Jones. ‘We ran around to investigate and found a military vehicle sitting astride our fence.

‘It’s a 5ft wooden fence and I suppose it demolished a section of about 20 metres (65.6ft).

‘The soldiers were a nice bunch of chaps. Like anybody would be, I think they were a little mortified.’

The MoD said the tank was manned by members of the Light Dragoons, based at Swanton Morley, Norfolk. Mr Jones said the crew had been on its way to a training ground.

He said the fence had been mended and he was discussing payment with MoD insurers.

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