London's 'Walkie Scorchie': The skyscraper that's melting cars is also starting fires Developers admit a new skyscraper they have built in London has caused damage by reflecting the sun's rays. A SKYSCRAPER that melted parts of a car parked on the street has also been blamed for starting fires at a neighbouring business. The half-finished 37-storey tower in central London has been dubbed the "Walkie Scorchie" because of its distinctive shape and apparent ability to bounce heat from the sun on to buildings in the next street. Angry business owners in Eastcheap say the $A348 million project has blistered paintwork, caused tiles to smash and singed fabric. A motorist also said the intense heat melted part of his Jaguar. Developers described the problem as "a phenomenon" and said they are "looking into the matter as a priority." Ali Akay, of Re Style barber's, said the position of the sun at a certain time of the day caused a searing bolt of sunlight to start a small fire and burn a hole in his company doormat. The owner of Re Style barbers, pictured, said the intense rays had set fire to his doormat. He said: "We were working and just saw the smoke coming out of the carpet. We tried to cut the fire down, there were customers in at the time and they were obviously not happy. Motorists have reported problems, too. Local businessman Martin Lindsay told City A.M. his Jaguar XJ, parked on Eastcheap on Thursday afternoon, had warped panels along one side. The wing mirror and badge had also melted from the heat of the reflection, he claimed. See the photos of the melted car here The Daily Mail managed to fry an egg outside the development and a cyclist said the rays had melted his bike seat. A joint statement from developers Land Securities and Canary Wharf said: "The phenomenon is caused by the current elevation of the sun in the sky. It currently lasts for approximately two hours per day... As responsible developers we are making every effort to keep local businesses informed and we have communicated with them regularly since the issue first appeared. While we investigate the situation further we have liaised with the City of London to suspend three parking bays in the area which may be affected. In addition, we are consulting with local businesses and the City to address the issue in the short-term, while also evaluating longer-term solutions to ensure the issue cannot recur in future.