Friends left waiting for prom night limo

THE limo that never came almost ruined the party for Steven Nicholls, 16, and his seven friends.

The Sir John Hunt community College pupils spent nearly an hour waiting at Steven's Whitleigh home as vehicle inspectors crawled over the stretch limo.

Mum Debra Nicholls said: "Back in February I booked a car from Westcountry Limos and Cars to take Steven and his friends to the Future Inn.

"On Friday night they got ready for the Prom, and all the lads met up at our house to wait for the limo at 7pm. At 7.45pm I phoned the driver and he said that VOSA had pulled in all the limos.

"We had to drive the boys there in our own cars. They were an hour late and they were very disappointed not to get their ride in a limo."

Another mother, Angela Hulley, said: "We had booked a stretch limo through Westcountry Limos and Cars to transport our group of eight from Tamerton Foliot to the Copthorne Hotel.

"A lot of work and expense goes into one of these evenings, certainly for the girls: hair done, make-up done, nails done, dress bought or hired, everything ready for what is in their lives a special occasion.

"Our group of eight were at a pre-prom gathering with parents and friends, a perfect evening, awaiting the arrival of our limo to send our group off in style.

"Seven-thirty came and went, 7.40pm arrived, no limo. I contacted Westcountry who said the limos were being stopped by VOSA at the Copthorne, and presumably at the other venues, and checks were being made.

"Westcountry Limos assured us theirs would be OK as they had had checks only three weeks previously and everything had been OK and that the cars would be with us soon.

"Westcountry Limos eventually sent a classic car which got four of our group to the prom, nearly an hour late. The other four we had to transport ourselves."

A director of Westcountry Limos and Cars, who refused to be named, said: "I spoke to VOSA on Friday night and begged them to let our drivers finish the proms runs and they wouldn't. There was just no reasoning with them.

"Three of our vehicles were sent for inspection and released the same evening.

"I spent the whole evening apologising to parents. I felt sick for those children."