Brexit Party bus left abandoned with doors open on Welsh road ‘had mechanical fault’
A Brexit Party bus has been towed after it was pictured empty with its doors open on the side of a road in Wales.
After pictures were shared on Twitter of the bus blocking a lay-by in the Brecon Beacons on Saturday night, some speculated it had been left there as a “bizarre publicity stunt”.
However, the party has confirmed that it suffered a mechanical failure.
BBC Wales journalist Sue Charles found the bus and was initially concerned it had been in an accident, but then saw it was abandoned.
“The doors were still open… it was at a right angle on a lay-by… it just looked very odd,” she told PA.
Haydn Rushworth, press officer for the Brexit Party in Wales, had been campaigning on the bus earlier on Saturday and explained there had been a “mechanical glitch” while the driver was travelling alone in the evening and had pulled over.
“It wasn’t a publicity stunt, no-one had hijacked it, it wasn’t Ukip stealing it and abandoning it,” he told PA.
“I’ve heard some great stories – unfortunately it was just a breakdown.
“It’s a terrific one for our opponents, I’m sure they could come up with some phenomenal metaphors… I’m not going to be the one that comes up with them.”
Mr Rushworth said he did not know where the driver was when the bus was pictured empty, but speculated that they had been searching for phone signal – and Ms Charles added she too had no service when she was by the bus.
Mr Rushworth explained the bus blocking the lay-by by saying they were “trying to turn around and it was a little tighter in the dark”.
Driving through the Brecon Beacons tonight. Was expecting a few by-election posters, but surprised to see what looked like a Brexit Party bus, crashed into a hedge. Got out to check all was ok. No one around, just an abandoned bus, doors open, side-on, blocking a lay-by... pic.twitter.com/8VwvEeZjlO
— Sue Charles (@Sue_Charles) July 27, 2019
“A combination of circumstances meant the bus has ended up looking abandoned in a weird spot,” he said.
Mr Rushworth said the bus was later towed to a garage in Cardiff and has since been fixed.
The Brexit Party have been campaigning in the area for the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election, set to take place on August 1.
Brexit Party campaigner Richard Taylor said the bus had been on its way back to London “after the team had finished a full day of successful campaigning with a great response” when the breakdown happened.
