Tesla chancer: Electric car owner uses Grangemouth High's electricity for no charge

Falkirk Herald photographer Michael Gillen was at Grangemouth High School to cover a road safety event organised by Police Scotland on Saturday morning, when he noticed the white Tesla parked right up next to the school building with a cord running in through an open window.

There were charging points just a matter of yards away in the school car park.

It appeared, for all intents and purposes, the motorist was using the electricity supply of the local authority school to charge up his vehicle at no cost to himself.

The Falkirk Herald contacted Falkirk Council regarding the matter and was told it was an “isolated incident” which was definitely “not standard practice” for the local authority and had not been approved by them in any way.

A council spokesperson said: “On Saturday, March 29 a subcontractor undertaking works at Grangemouth High School requested access to a power source after experiencing a flat battery on their electric vehicle.

"The janitor on duty, employed by FES FM – our facilities management provider – permitted the subcontractor to connect to a standard 13-amp socket by running a cable through an open window.

"The building remained secure throughout. The janitor’s intention was to assist the subcontractor on the day, without full consideration of the implications. This action was taken without prior approval from the school or Falkirk Council and is not standard practice.

“There was also an event taking place at the school on the same day. The incident was subsequently noted and reported to the school’s senior leadership team and the council.

"The matter has now been addressed with the contractor and facilities provider to ensure all staff and subcontractors are reminded of appropriate procedures. This was an isolated incident with no disruption to school operations or events.

"This has been treated as a procedural issue rather than one of deliberate wrongdoing, but measures have now been put in place to ensure this does not happen again.”

Have you got a story you want to share with our readers? You can now send it to us online via YourWorld at https://www.yourworld.net/submit/ It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.