'Tourist attraction' crashed car finally removed

Ben Mellor
BBC News, East Midlands
BBC A blue crashed car on the side of the A617.BBC
The crashed car had been listed as a "historical landmark" on Google Maps

A crashed car has been removed after becoming a five-star attraction by the roadside as it laid on its crumpled side for two months.

The precariously positioned blue Vauxhall Grandland became well-known among locals and visitors, gaining numerous positive reviews, which were often tongue-in-cheek.

It had been located next to the A617, between Kirklington and Bilsthorpe, since 10 September, according to Nottinghamshire Police.

Councillor Ian Woolridge, from Kirklington, told the BBC that there had been talk of installing a Blue Plaque as a "mark of remembrance".

"But we'll just have to make do with the police tickertape that remains," he said.

Rob Rose/BBC An empty ditch next to the A617 heading away from Kirklington.Rob Rose/BBC
Although the car itself has gone, police tape and some metal remains

Miranda Foley, 52, said the car becoming an attraction had "caused quite a lot of laughter" in recent weeks.

"I drove past it in my daily life quite frequently," she said. "It's brilliant that someone's made a joke of it."

Meanwhile, the removal will be a minor disappointment for fellow resident Marie Smith.

Ms Smith previously said she was hoping it stayed in place for Christmas, in time for a celebrity lights switch-on.

That dream, and her hope for TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson to be invited, has seemingly been crushed.

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