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A high-end Jaguar has MELTED after being parked in the sizzling-hot glare reflecting from one of London's newest skyscrapers.

Developers of the £200 million "Walkie-Talkie" skyscraper at 20 Fenchurch Street say they are investigating reports that the damaging glare caused extensive damage to parts of a Jaguar XJ, and a number of car parking spaces near the towering building have been suspended.

Businessman Martin Lindsay said he was distraught when he came back to his high-spec Jag on Eastcheap on Thursday afternoon to find the panels along one side had warped.

He claimed the heat from the building's reflection had also caused the vehicle's wing mirror and badge to melt, and City AM reported the scorched car had left a smell of burning in the air.

Mr Lindsay, director of tiling company Moderna Contracts, told City AM : "They're going to have to think of something. I'm gutted. How can they let this continue?"

It is thought the building's unusual shape is reflecting a strong beam of light onto Eastcheap, earning it another nickname - the Walkie Scorchie.

(Image: Oli Scarff/Getty Images) (Image: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

A second driver has also come forward to complain of damage to his Vauxhall Vevaro van.

Eddie Cannon, a heating and air conditioning engineer, said: "The van looks a total mess - every bit of plastic on the left hand side and everything on the dashboard has melted, including a bottle of Lucozade that looks like it has been baked."

But it's not just cars that are suffering under the rays bouncing off the 37-storey, skyscraper - which is due to be completed in 2014.

Angry business owners in Eastcheap say the 535ft towers is also responsible for blistering paintwork, causing tiles to smash, and singing fabric.

Ali Akay, of Re Style barbers, said the position of the sun a certain times of day caused a sizzling bolt of sunlight to start a small fire, which burned a hole in his company doormat.

He said: "We were working and just saw the smoke coming out of the carpet. We tried to cut the fire down, there were customers in at the time and they were obviously not happy.

"Customers are not going to come in if there is a fire in the front of the door."

He said it was becoming a serious health and safety issue, and the developers should have looked into it before they started building the tower.

Next door at the Viet Cafe, Diana Pham said a tile had broken and paint had "bobbled" as a result of the concentrated heat.

She said: "This is a problem... it can be dangerous for people. But I don't know what they (the developers) can do about it."

In a joint statement developers Land Securities and Canary Wharf said the "phenomenon" was being caused by the "current elevation of the sun in the sky" for around two hours a day, and is expected to last for up to three weeks.

They have offered "as a gesture of goodwill" to fork out for the cost of the repairs to Mr Lindsay's Jaguar, and are talking to other people and businesses who have been affected.

They added: "As responsible developers we are making every effort to keep local businesses informed and we have communicated with them regularly since the issue first appeared. While we investigate the situation further we have liaised with the City of London to suspend three parking bays in the area which may be affected.

"In addition, we are consulting with local businesses and the City to address the issue in the short-term, while also evaluating longer-term solutions to ensure the issue cannot recur in future."