Tourist's car blown up by terror police
A tourist had his car blown up by anti-terrorist police after it broke down – and he also got a parking ticket.
Nima Hosseini Razi's Ford Mondeo broke down near the Houses of Parliament. He left a note on the car saying "this car is broke – please do not fine me" before going sightseeing. When he returned he found that anti-terrorist officers, fearing the vehicle might have contained a bomb, had blown open the boot in a controlled explosion. To add insult to injury, a parking attendant issued a ticket before Mr Razi's car was towed away.
His mistake, he realised later, had been to break down outside the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre – a short distance from the Palace of Westminster and several important government buildings.
Mr Razi, 32, a student at the University of Wales, said: "The police's actions were extremely arrogant and unprofessional. They treated me like a terrorist. They were never interested in listening to my real story."
A spokesman for Scotland Yard confirmed last night that a controlled explosion on a "suspect vehicle" took place. He added: "The incident was subsequently deemed non-suspicious."
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies