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| Woman arrested after 'move your van' note on ambulance | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| A 26-year-old woman has been arrested after an abusive note was left on an ambulance dealing with a 999 call. | A 26-year-old woman has been arrested after an abusive note was left on an ambulance dealing with a 999 call. |
| The handwritten message, in which the writer said she did not care "if the whole street collasped [sic]", was left in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, on Sunday. | The handwritten message, in which the writer said she did not care "if the whole street collasped [sic]", was left in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, on Sunday. |
| Staffordshire Police said the incident was not reported, but the force took action after seeing details on Twitter. | Staffordshire Police said the incident was not reported, but the force took action after seeing details on Twitter. |
| Ch Insp John Owen tweeted: "Emergency services must be able to carry out their roles without fear of abuse." | Ch Insp John Owen tweeted: "Emergency services must be able to carry out their roles without fear of abuse." |
| The woman, from Tunstall, was arrested on suspicion of public order offences and remains in police custody. | The woman, from Tunstall, was arrested on suspicion of public order offences and remains in police custody. |
| Mike Duggan, operational manager from the West Midlands Ambulance Service, said the paramedics also received verbal abuse as well as the note. | Mike Duggan, operational manager from the West Midlands Ambulance Service, said the paramedics also received verbal abuse as well as the note. |
| "This is not solely about the note," Staffordshire Police said, "the arrest related to matters of verbal abuse." | "This is not solely about the note," Staffordshire Police said, "the arrest related to matters of verbal abuse." |
| The note, which was left on the parked ambulance, read: "If this van is for anyone but Number 14 then you have no right to be parked here." | The note, which was left on the parked ambulance, read: "If this van is for anyone but Number 14 then you have no right to be parked here." |
| The note ended by saying: "Now move your van from outside my house." | The note ended by saying: "Now move your van from outside my house." |
| 'Vile abusive notes' | 'Vile abusive notes' |
| Mr Duggan told the BBC he thinks people who abuse emergency staff need to be dealt with more "robustly". | Mr Duggan told the BBC he thinks people who abuse emergency staff need to be dealt with more "robustly". |
| "What is it going to take? Is one of us going to have to die before they take it seriously?" he said. | "What is it going to take? Is one of us going to have to die before they take it seriously?" he said. |
| In a statement, the ambulance service said it has a "zero tolerance policy" towards abuse, which it said is "completely unacceptable and must stop". | In a statement, the ambulance service said it has a "zero tolerance policy" towards abuse, which it said is "completely unacceptable and must stop". |
| "There are unfortunately still a handful of narrow-minded individuals who consider leaving vile abusive notes acceptable," the service said. | "There are unfortunately still a handful of narrow-minded individuals who consider leaving vile abusive notes acceptable," the service said. |
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