THE man whose van was blown up after becoming the centre of a major bomb scare, that caused hours of traffic delays across the region, is demanding police compensation.
Salesman Marshall Howard Evans is furious that his brand new Ford Transit van is a write-off after army bomb disposal experts carried out a series of controlled blasts last Wednesday afternoon.
Police received reports of a suspicious vehicle parked at Hapsford Service Station, at junction 14 of the M56 around 2.10pm
and the entrance to the services was soon closed as staff and customers were evacuated.
As the drama unfolded motorists suffered hours of misery throughout the Chester area when part of the M56 was closed.
Dad-of-one, Marshall, of Queensferry, had left his maroon van parked at the busy service station at around 10am that morning to join friends at a Leeds auction.
He said: 'I parked it there because my friends, who I went to Leeds with, are from Frodsham. When I got back I found out there was a bomb scare at Hapsford Service Station, but didn't think for a minute it would have anything to do with me.
'I got as far as Elton then walked to my van. When I got there I told them my van was inside and they said: 'we think we have blown it up'.
'Someone must have thought boxes in the back were bombs. But they were jet washers.
'I use the van for my job. It cost me £10,000 only a few weeks ago and it's a total loss.
'All I know is that I need to be back on the road and I've spoken to my solicitors about getting compensation.
'I think that they should give me something. I left the van there in the morning and by the time I get back it's a total write-off.'
Mr Harris winched the wreckage of his van onto the back of a trailer, back to his home in Queensferry.
A spokesperson for Cheshire Constabulary said: 'We have not received any representations from the man's solicitors but if we do we'll investigate the matter.'
