Shoppers at Canvey Island, Essex, were somewhat taken aback when a large armoured vehicle, mounting a fearsome 105mm gun capable of firing a high explosive shell a distance of 19 miles, suddenly appeared on their streets last weekend.
However, they breathed a sigh of relief when it turned out to be just the latest publicity stunt by estate agents Fisks.
Fisks hired the vehicle – a Vickers Abbott self-propelled gun in service until 1992 and now owned by a local military enthusiast – to promote both the reopening of their refurbished office on the Island and their ongoing campaign to raise funds for Help for Heroes.
The firm is giving £25 to the charity for every sole agency instruction received before the end of the year, and a further £25 for each completed sale.
Fisks chairman John Pring said: “When it comes to putting a message across, you can’t beat a large armoured vehicle equipped with a big gun and a powerful tannoy.
“The exercise also confirmed the huge popularity of the Help for Heroes.
“We were taken by surprise when passers-by spontaneously started handing over money. Our staff had to quickly improvise a couple of collection buckets, and within minutes they had collected £70 without even trying.”
However, Pring is not planning to utilise the Abbott for day-to-day agency business.
He said: “It’s not so much the fact that it only has a top speed of 20mph.
“The real problem is that it only does three miles to the gallon, and a fill-up at the local BP costs around £400!”
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