The car was crushed in Taunton

The car, with valid tax disc, MoT certificate and insurance, was parked legally, but was removed by Avon and Somerset Police who deemed it had been abandoned, and posed a fire risk.

The D-reg Ford Escort was removed from Pollard Road in Bridgwater, Somerset, and taken to a breaker's yard in Taunton where it was crushed and stacked in a pile of other flattened vehicles.

Roger Bugg, 53, from Dartford in Kent, says he lost up to �3,000 worth of tools which were left on the back seat and in the boot.

The car had been crushed and all that was left inside were a couple of old coats Roger Bugg

The police said the decision was taken to remove the car after officers had "exhausted" attempts to contact the registered owner.

But Mr Bugg said: "It is all a big cock-up and I am determined to get compensation for the car and all the tools I lost.

"The car was only worth about �500 but the tools are my livelihood and I want to work.

'Fire risk'

"I couldn't believe it. I went straight to the scrap yard and could not believe my eyes.

"The car had been crushed and all that was left inside were a couple of old coats."

A police spokesman said: "The vehicle was parked near an electricity sub-station and was considered a fire risk as well as being apparently abandoned.

"If the car had been torched it would have caused mayhem and a serious fire.

"The car was originally seen by a traffic warden and exhaustive attempts were made to contact the owner without success."

An inspector based at Taunton police station was looking into Mr Bugg's complaint.