More than 100 local authorities across Britain are pursuing legal action against European truck manufacturers including Volvo and Daimler over £450 million of alleged losses incurred from a price-fixing cartel.

Authorities ranging from Basildon borough council in Essex to Carmarthenshire county council and North Tyneside council, as well as 22 fire and rescue services, are seeking compensation five years after the European Commission ruled that Daimler, Volvo, DAF, Iveco and MAN colluded over 14 years to fix prices.

Four of the manufacturers were fined a record penalty of almost €3 billion for overcharging and passing on the costs of emissions-reducing technology. MAN escaped a fine after it blew the whistle on the cartel.

The local authorities claim that as a consequence of the cartel, the

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