INDEPENDENT Car Auctions is promising to turn the UK disposal market upside down following its acquisition of National Car Auctions. The deal gives fleet managers a genuine national alternative to disposal giant British Car Auctions, and John Bailey, ICA chief executive is determined to up the ante in the battle for business.

'When ICA teamed up with the world's largest auction company, Manheim Auctions two years ago to form Independent Car Auctions (Holdings) Ltd and acquire a controlling interest in CMA group, we made no secret of our intention to break BCA's dominance of the UK market,' he said.

The company is much closer to this goal, having consolidated into a coherent alternative force all the major auction players outside BCA - CMA, ICA, BRS and now NCA. But Tom Madden, BCA director, customer affairs, said ICA's series of acquisitions had actually reduced the levels of competition in the market.

'Two years ago we had four, independent, aggressive auction company competitors. Now we have only one. We have lost a very professional competitor, which cannot be good news for the industry as a whole,' he said. Madden promised, however, that BCA would maintain its market leadership through its: 'professionalism, infrastructure, facilities and award winning customer service'.