TNT depot raided
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• A mob of around 300 people armed with bricks, ball bearings and pick axe handles attacked TNT's depot at Eastleigh, Hampshire, last week. end, damaging 26 vehicles and causing an estimated £10,000 worth of damage.
Police believe the attack was made in protest at TNT's role in the print dispute between Rupert Murdoch's News International organisation, and the print unions.
There were 17 TNT workers at the depot when the mob began to congregate outside the perimeter fence, and they made their way to the staff canteen to avoid the missiles being thrown. A police spokesman said it was a miracle no one was injured in the incident. "We are horrified at the nature of the missiles used," he said.
Tom Bell of TNT says that windscreens were broken on 13 Volkswagen LT45s, on one Scania tractive unit, and on two 7.5 tonne panel vans. Damage was also done to 10 cars and one police car and 20 office windows and 10 fence posts were broken.
"As far as I know there have been no arrests to date," says Bell, "but there is evidence that print workers were involved."
When asked whether TNT would increase security arrangements at its depots, Bell said: "There is not much you can do when you are attacked by a mob of 300."
After just four months of delivering his Today newspaper in London with his own independent road system, national newspaper boss Eddy Shah has abandoned the scheme to join the traditional newspaper distribution network.
Shah's scheme — which included 300 staff and 200 new Ford Transits to deliver to around 6,000 newsagents — has floundered owing to high overheads, reports suggest. There were also complaints about unreliability in delivery.
The change in operation to the print union Sogat 82-dominated distribution network occurred on Monday this week, but Shah's News UK distribution staff were unavailable to say what has happened to the Transits or the staff.