President's armoured limo taken out - by a tank full of diesel

 

President Obama's presidential limo had to be carted off by a flatbed lorry – because red-faced staff filled the tank with the WRONG fuel.

The bulletproof fortress-on-wheels, known as The Beast, is designed to withstand huge blasts and bio-chemical attack, but was unable to cope when the tank was filled with diesel instead of petrol.

Embarrassed security staff had to call a local break down firm to collect the stranded limo.

"We experienced mechanical trouble with one of the cars," confessed Edwin Donovan of the Secret Service.
.

The $300,000 armoured limo is the pride of the American motor industry. Built by Cadillac, it has armour plating to protect it from gunfire and also features a complex air conditioning system to protect its occupants from bio-chemical attack. In the refrigerated boot, a blood bank stores samples of the president's blood group, along with an oxygen supply and fire-fighting system.

Each door on the limo is armour plated and up to eight inches thick – with cubby-holes for pump-action shotguns.

The fuel tank is armour plated and filled with fire-preventing foam, but obviously had NO defence for a drop of diesel