The owner of a car repair business who ploughed his makeshift armoured bulldozer into several buildings after a dispute with city officials was found dead in the machine yesterday after a rampage lasting several hours in a mountain town near Denver.

The owner of a car repair business who ploughed his makeshift armoured bulldozer into several buildings after a dispute with city officials was found dead in the machine yesterday after a rampage lasting several hours in a mountain town near Denver.

Marvin Heemeyer, who lost two bitter zoning battles with the local municipality, tore through the tourist town of Granby outside Rocky Mountain National Park in his bulldozer, smashing buildings and firing shots as police tried to stop the slow-motion rampage. He demolished the town hall, a former mayor's home and at least five other buildings on Friday before the machine ground to a halt in the wreckage of a warehouse. No one else was injured.

All roads in and out of Granby were closed as the authorities tried blasting their way into the cab but failed to penetrate the makeshift armour. Although Mr Heemeyer was armed, he appeared to avoid deliberately hurting anyone.

At least 40 deputies, state patrol officers and park rangers fired 200 rounds at the yellow bulldozer, but the shots were deflected by heavy metal plates over the cab, bonnet and radiator, apparently welded on over a period of weeks.

"It looked like a futuristic tank," said garage owner Rod Moore. He said it rumbled past with an officer perched on top, firing shots into the roof. "He just kept shooting," Mr Moore said. "The 'dozer was still going. It didn't do a thing."