A FULLY functional tank which is parked down an Islington street will not be moved for the foreseeable future, its owner has announced.
Nick Mead, founder of company Tanks A Lot, leaves the British Abbot at the bottom of Torrens Street behind Angel tube station, to save having to transport it from his home in Northampton, where he runs tank experience days.
Mr Mead said: “I use the tank regularly and do all sorts of things around London.
“It goes out about eight times a year and always gets a tremendous reaction because people can’t believe it.
“The last time I used it around London I took a load of naked women around Spearmint Rhino. I’ve also been asked to advertise for companies such as Hamley’s and even take celebrities to awards ceremonies.”
However, there are concerns over the tank’s presence. Caitlin Hamilton, a commuter and student in the area, said: “When I first saw the tank my initial reaction was of panic and confusion.
“The purpose of a tank is military and it should be parked on private property, not in the middle of a road.”
Local resident, Sam Thomas, added: “I wasn’t sure why the tank was down the road but I assumed it was there for a reason. If somebody owns it then it’s fine.”
Despite leaving his tank unattended in central London, Mr Mead stressed that the vehicle should not be considered a danger to the public.
“The tank is fully functional but it’s very complicated to fire.” Mr Mead continued. “It’s not like the old days, you’d need an A-Level to be able to do it.”
He also emphasised that he was not worried about the tank getting damaged, despite it being parked outside a nightclub.
“Occasionally a wing mirror gets scratched but everybody is too fat to climb the tank nowadays, so there’s no way of them being able to harm it. “
Mr Mead owns a range of tanks, including a hearse, a limo and a pink tank, which he uses for LGBT events. He has also been filmed for a number of TV programmes and films, including James Bond.
“I used to have a Butchers shop but I bought my first tank for a bit of fun,” said Mr Mead.
“You can get a lot of tank for your money and it only cost me £2000.”
Mr Mead’s tanks are all road legal and exempt from both MOTs and tax.
