Greater Manchester Police are investigating an incident whereby an 18-seat stretch Hummer was impounded as it waited outside a dog racing track to pick up customers. The vehicle is owned by Earl’s Limousines based in Wigan and is one of only two to be found in the U.K. The vehicle was seized after police ran a check on the driver with the Vehicle Operators and Services Agency. Although the driver claims to have a valid license allowing him to drive large buses, a requirement for anyone driving a vehicle with more than 16 seats, he was flagged by the system as not being allowed to drive a vehicle for hire or reward.
Jason Earl who owns the luxury car hire firm is said to be angry at the way the police dealt with the situation. He claims that he has spent £18,000 converting the vehicle so that it complies with U.K. standards and that the driver had a valid license to drive it. Mr. Earl said that he managed to fulfill his obligations to the clients who were at the Belle Vue stadium because his friend owns the other U.K. based 18-seat Hummer. However he will now be seeking £1,500 compensation from the Greater Manchester Police. The Hummer was out of action for two days whilst impounded and Mr. Earl was forced to pay £190 to have the vehicle released. It is now back on the road with the same driver behind the wheel. The police say they will look into the circumstances surrounding the incident because the driver has appealed.
