CONTROVERSY surrounds the sacking of Paul Williams from his position as managing director of Daihatsu UK. Fleet NewsNet has learned that staff at Daihatsu UK are unhappy with the dismissal decision by Inchcape, the parent company.

Sources, who did not wish to be named, said it appeared Williams had become a victim of his own success, expanding the company too quickly at the expense of profit margins. Another said: 'I can't approve of the way this has been handled. There doesn't even seem to have been an awful lot of communication. They just got rid of him despite everything he has done for the company.'

Williams joined Daihatsu in 1991 when sales stood at about 6,000 units and there was no fleet business. Total sales last year topped the 12,000 mark, of which about 4,000 were into fleets. Inchcape has said it is to 'review' the Daihatsu brand.