VW owner's not a happy camper after string of disasters

LIKE many 21-year-olds, "Ruby" had big plans for a summer of music festivals and holiday fun.

But the bright maroon VW camper van is just lucky to be in one piece today following a terrible spell of luck for owner Stan Blackley (pictured below).

After failing an MOT in December, Ruby was booked into the A and J Motors workshop in Leith for some welding in order to pass a retest.

Then in January a car transporter working for the AA crashed into the camper in the garage's yard, causing around 1000 of damage.

Mr Blackley, who bought Ruby for 3000 three years ago on eBay, was only offered 350 compensation because the AA claimed she was not worth repairing.

As the dispute over who should pay for the repairs dragged on, mechanics at the garage left the battered camper van outside their Manderston Street premises.

But worse was to come for Ruby, the van was picked up and impounded by the DVLA – because she was parked on the street without a proper MOT.

On Saturday Mr Blackley, 37, who runs his own Edinburgh-based PR agency, received a letter to say his beloved van was about to be crushed. Garage bosses have now been forced to pay the outstanding fines and the cost of transporting the camper back from the DVLA pound at Ingliston.

But despite all his best intentions, four months after Ruby first went in to be repaired Mr Blackley's plans to take partner Lara, 34, and their two-month-old son Ivor to a number of summer music festivals in Ruby are in tatters.

Today he hit out at the AA for its "paltry" offer for the damage caused by the car transporter, which included a broken bumper, door and side panel.

He said: "It has turned out to be a bit of a nightmare few months with Ruby.

"She has been in quite good condition since I got her but failed the MOT in December and I needed to get some welding work done.

"It wasn't till I phoned up to see how it was going that they told me about the AA smashing into her.

"I wasn't in a big rush for the van back so was reasonably relaxed about it until the AA turned round and said they would only give me 350 for the damage.

"And then this letter arrived on Saturday saying the van would be crushed if I did not collect it by the day before. I went into a bit of a panic but managed to stop them before it was crushed."

He added: "I am so angry at the AA for what is a paltry offer because there is no way the van is just fit for the scrapyard."

A spokesman for the AA said that the situation with Ruby was still being looked into by its claims team but added that Mr Blackley would be given a fair and reasonable offer.