A MAN has been charged with vandalising the Lord Mayor of York’s new £60,000 limousine.

The Volvo Nilsson S80 D3 was outside the Mansion House in St Helen’s Square on Saturday night as its driver prepared to take Coun Keith Hyman, his wife and other dignitaries to an event at the Barbican centre, when its side and window are believed to have been damaged in an attack.

A member of door staff at Harkers Bar nearby saw the incident, and police were called. A police spokesman said a 41-year-old man from Haxby was arrested and has been charged with causing criminal damage and being drunk and disorderly in a public place. He is due to appear before York Magistrates’ Court later this month.

Coun Hyman and his wife Karen, the Lady Mayoress, were getting ready to attend the York Youth Music Festival at the Barbican, together with the Sheriff of York, Coun Paul Firth, and his wife Jenny, the Sheriff’s Lady, when the limousine was damaged between 6.30pm and 7.20pm on Saturday. None of the civic party were in the vehicle at the time and the vehicle was being used as normal today for civic engagements.

Coun Hyman said: “I did not see the damage being caused to the car, but it was good to see that members of the public tried to help.”

The Volvo which is currently being used as the mayor’s transport was bought by the council earlier this year after the authority’s three main political parties agreed to replace its nine-year-old predecessor, which was deemed not to be reliable, fuel-efficient or value for money.

The move was criticised at the time by independent councillor Mark Warters, who claimed it sent out the “wrong message” in the midst of council budget cuts, while Green councillor Dave Taylor said an electric car should have been chosen.