A CAR wash is being sued after a customer claimed the manager caused around £17,000 of damage to his Range Rover when he took it for a drive without permission.

Hassan Hussein says he dropped off his Range Rover Sport at Bromley Hand Car Wash at 8.45am on June 14 but when he went to collect it at around 6.30pm it was not there.

The 32-year-old, of Ingress Park, Greenhithe, says a member of staff at the car wash next to Bromley North station told him the manager had taken the car out due to a family emergency.

Mr Hussein says he demanded his vehicle was returned immediately, but when the manager did arrive at 7.30pm he was in a recovery truck with the Range Rover on the back.

News Shopper: Mr Hussein's Range Rover on a recovery truck outside Bromley Hand Car Wash

Football agent Mr Hussein, who works in Bromley, said: “I was absolutely furious. I was doing cartwheels in the car park.

“The manager said he had taken the car out for a family emergency. He said he took it to a garage to put fuel in, and when he drove it away it started smoking and came to a standstill.

“I was going crazy. If you take your car to a car wash, you expect it to get cleaned, not taken for a drive, damaged, and brought back on a recovery truck.”

Father-of-two Mr Hussein says the car was taken to Beadles garage in Sidcup, where it was discovered the tank of the diesel vehicle had been filled with petrol.

Mr Hussein says the car wash manager originally agreed to pay for the repairs, but when he told him it would cost around £17,000 he refused to do so.

Now Mr Hussein’s insurance company, Admiral Group, are suing the car wash for the cost of the repairs.

An Admiral Group spokeswoman said: “We will be looking to pursue the garage and their insurers for the recovery of any costs we incur as part of Mr Hussain’s claim.”

Mr Hussein says he wants to “name and shame” the car wash to prevent other people taking their vehicles there.

He said: “It is just unbelievable that they took my car out. To say it was for a family emergency makes no sense, as surely they have their own cars and there is a taxi office next door.”

When News Shopper contacted the car wash, a member of staff denied the Range Rover had been taken off the premises and said the vehicle was already damaged when Mr Hussein dropped it off.