MOSCOW, September 3 (RIA Novosti) - A London driver claimed his luxury Jaguar XJ car was damaged by a beam of light reflected from a nearby skyscraper, UK media reported on Monday.
The Building.co.uk website of construction industry news quoted Martin Lindsay as saying that he had left his Jaguar parked outside the 525-feet skyscraper in the City only to find the car with its plastic panels and a wing mirror deformed. Lindsay claimed the vehicle, sold in the UK at a price between ₤60,000 and ₤100,000 ($93,000-$155,000), was damaged by a beam of bright light, reflected from the tower’s concave surface.
The City A.M. said the 20 Fenchurch Street building, initially dubbed Walkie Talkie for its distinctive shape, was renamed into Walkie Scorchie after it began reflecting a ray of light so bright that passers-by had to shield their eyes.
It quoted another person, Eddie Cannon, as saying that his Vauxhall Vevaro van, parked in the same area, has also suffered similar damage.
"The van looks a total mess - every bit of plastic on the left hand side and everything on the dashboard has melted, including a bottle of Lucozade that looks like it has been baked," he said.
David Banks, a PR consultant who felt the force of the intense beam, told The Independent: “It [the skyscraper] is like a huge lens. It is magnifying the sunbeam. It’s like trying to fry ants with a magnifying glass.”
The City of London has now halted use of three parking lots on the street opposite the building.
The developer, Land Securities and Canary Wharf, said it would look into these reports.
