Medium term leasing specialist Equalease has been swamped during the last fortnight by demand for 4x4s on three month leases from essential services fleets.

The company has seen demand rocket for capable 4x4s such as the VW Touareg and BMW X5 as a result of the winter weather.

Managing director Paul Ashton said: “Few short term hire fleets carry large numbers of 4x4s, so we have been one of the few sources able to supply a vehicle at short notice.”

Ashton said that a typical organisation supplied by Equalease during the last fortnight was Bolton Primary Care Trust.

Their GP’s and nurses visit terminally ill patients to provide care and a number of these patients live in remote locations.

Ashton added that demand was now starting to ease as weather conditions improved slightly but that many fleets had seen the advantages of having access to 4x4s for the winter period on a short term lease.