A LANDOWNER is seeking compensation and an apology from the B&M store group after a lorry overturned onto one of his walls.

Nigel Hawkins said the incident occurred on January 12 at around 6.45pm, but B&M has not been in touch and his insurance company has also failed to get any response from the store's insurers.

The wall is adjacent to land in Clogger Lane, on the old Elslack to Colne road, on the outskirts of Skipton, and is part of Carleton Park Estate which Mr Hawkins owns.

"It was sheer luck that someone who works for me came across the lorry and took photographs so we have evidence. Otherwise it would have been cleared and away and we may not have heard anything about it," said Mr Hawkins who has had to put up a temporary fence.

"I estimate the cost of repairing it will be upwards of £5,000 and the company should pay for it.

"I have tried on numerous occasions to get in touch with B&M directly but could never get through. My insurers have been in touch with theirs and theirs have said they don't know anything about it. How can they now know? The lorry will have to have been recovered and will have been badly damaged but no one has been in touch and I don't even know if they had contacted the police," he added.

"I'm not going to drop this and they are going to have to stand up and take count.

"It costs money to repair walls but it's not only that. It's the fact they have not acknowledged the incident nor taken any sort of responsibility. It makes you wonder what they are hiding. It does sound very fishy.

"If I crashed into someone's wall or damaged someone's property, like a car, for instance, I would leave a note to say I was very sorry, with contact details. Up until now I have heard nothing and it has been months.

"I expect to be paid compensation for the time and effort I have had to go through to try and get answers and an apology for the length of time they are taking. The principle is the same whether it is a metre of wall or several metres. It all has to be repaired to make it safe again and I want them to stand up and admit it and pay for it."

The Herald has approached B&M for a comment.