Here is a curious motoring tale for your amusement

In August my motor insurance company sent me a sniffy letter telling me off for not informing them that I had driven into a Suzuki Celerio in Weymouth.

Now I live in a small town in Yorkshire, neither I nor my Ford Fiesta have ever visited your fair town of Weymouth, let alone assaulted the locals.

Glossing over the fact that I have been missing out for all these years I duly contacted them over the next few weeks with letters, phone calls and emails explaining my innocence and assumed that when investigated properly, justice would prevail, my good name would be restored and we would all have a chuckle about it.

Big mistake. They ignored my communications, paid out the claim and adjusted my driving record and no claims accordingly.

They said the front of my almost perfect Fiesta (small shopping trolley ding to the badge, only noticeable in the right light) had caused £3,000 worth of damage to the 2016 Suzuki Celery I rang them up, ranted and raged for the odd half hour or so (there was no chuckling) and put in an official complaint.

Following my complaint someone finally picked up a phone to check some details and found out that the rogue vehicle in your fine town had in fact a one digit different reg number to mine... and was a different colour.

No one had ever bothered to check despite my pleas and protestations by phone, letter and email.

They just took the option of paying out the claim, stuffing up my record and raising everyone's premiums.

They have since corrected my record and offered me £100 to withdraw my complaint.

I haven't.

So, the moral to the story is, if a similar thing happens to you don't expect that your company will actually investigate anything.

I only just dodged this bullet, harass them relentlessly until they listen to you.

Oh, and by the way, when is a good Suzuki-free time to visit Weymouth?

KEVIN BENNETT

The Grange, Beever Lane, Barnsley