Who snapped? ‘Eyesore’ car in village targeted
Peter with his car at Arlington Row in 2015, above, and right, the attacker carved ‘move’ into the bonnet A PENSIONER’S bright yellow car blamed by photographers for ruining photos of one of Britain’s most picturesque villages has been vandalised.
The banana-coloured Vauxhall Corsa parked outside Peter Maddox’s Cotswolds cottage had “MOVE” scratched into the paintwork on its bonnet and its windows smashed.
The chocolate box houses in 14th century Arlington Row in Bilbury, Glous, are owned by the National Trust and a tourist mecca.
Complain
They also feature on the inside cover of millions of UK passports.
But a row erupted in 2015 when visitors and photographers took to Twitter to complain about their snaps in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty being ruined by the “ugly, yellow car”.
The retired dentist, aged 84, insisted he had nowhere else to park. Now mechanics have told Peter, who moved to Bilbury after his wife died 15 years ago, that repairs to his car will cost £6,000, making it a probable write-off.
Daughter-in-law Marie Kraus said: “Peter is upset at the loss of his car and his independence, but he is also very fond of his lovely yellow car.
“Everyone in the village is very supportive. It is horrible to think whoever has done this has gone out of their way to do something like this. “It will leave Peter out of pocket.” Postmaster Richard William, 48, said: “A lot of people make money out of photographing Arlington Row.
“I think there is a financial aspect to the crime.”
Police spokesman Sgt Garrett Gloyne said: “We have conducted house to house inquiries. We are aware the vehicle was a bone of contention to some people.”
But Peter may yet have the last laugh: he says he’ll make sure his next car is an eye-catching lime green.