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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Woman held in Stoke-on-Trent after abusive note on ambulance | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Staffordshire police say a 26-year-old woman was arrested for public order offences | Staffordshire police say a 26-year-old woman was arrested for public order offences |
| Matthew Weaver | Matthew Weaver |
| Mon 19 Feb 2018 09.51 GMT | Mon 19 Feb 2018 09.51 GMT |
| Last modified on Mon 19 Feb 2018 12.43 GMT | |
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| A woman has been been arrested in Stoke-on-Trent after an abusive note was reportedly left on an ambulance. | A woman has been been arrested in Stoke-on-Trent after an abusive note was reportedly left on an ambulance. |
| Staffordshire police said a 26-year-old woman was arrested for public order offences, in the latest case of ambulance workers facing intimidation from members of the public. | Staffordshire police said a 26-year-old woman was arrested for public order offences, in the latest case of ambulance workers facing intimidation from members of the public. |
| Ch Insp John Owen, the commander of policing in Stoke-on-Trent North, confirmed the arrest in a tweet, saying the “emergency services must be able to carry out their roles without fear of abuse and intimidation of any kind”. | Ch Insp John Owen, the commander of policing in Stoke-on-Trent North, confirmed the arrest in a tweet, saying the “emergency services must be able to carry out their roles without fear of abuse and intimidation of any kind”. |
| The arrest came after West Midlands ambulance service said a woman left an abusive note on a vehicle responding to a 999 call in the Tunstall area of the city. | The arrest came after West Midlands ambulance service said a woman left an abusive note on a vehicle responding to a 999 call in the Tunstall area of the city. |
| The handwritten note said: “You have no right to be parked here. I couldn’t give a shit if the whole street collapsed. Now move your van.” | The handwritten note said: “You have no right to be parked here. I couldn’t give a shit if the whole street collapsed. Now move your van.” |
| A Stoke-based paramedic, Katie Tudor, tweeted an image of the note, and said the workers involved also received verbal abuse. | A Stoke-based paramedic, Katie Tudor, tweeted an image of the note, and said the workers involved also received verbal abuse. |
| So upset to be sent this by one of our crews this morning! Along with this note left on their 🚑 they received a load of verbal abuse!😡😔@OFFICIALWMAS @StaffsPolice pic.twitter.com/c4UYdcjv86 | So upset to be sent this by one of our crews this morning! Along with this note left on their 🚑 they received a load of verbal abuse!😡😔@OFFICIALWMAS @StaffsPolice pic.twitter.com/c4UYdcjv86 |
| The service’s operational manager, Mike Duggan, told the Birmingham Mail that the note illustrated the abuse faced by paramedics. | The service’s operational manager, Mike Duggan, told the Birmingham Mail that the note illustrated the abuse faced by paramedics. |
| “People seem to have no respect for the work we’re doing or the fact we’re helping someone,” he said. “We don’t block roads for the sake of it. What is it going to take? Is one of us going to have to die before they take it seriously?” | “People seem to have no respect for the work we’re doing or the fact we’re helping someone,” he said. “We don’t block roads for the sake of it. What is it going to take? Is one of us going to have to die before they take it seriously?” |
| Staffordshire police said the incident happened at around midday on Sunday. The woman remains in custody. | Staffordshire police said the incident happened at around midday on Sunday. The woman remains in custody. |
| In a statement, Owen said: “We will not tolerate abuse or intimidation of our emergency services. This kind of behaviour is totally unacceptable and we will take appropriate action against offenders.” | In a statement, Owen said: “We will not tolerate abuse or intimidation of our emergency services. This kind of behaviour is totally unacceptable and we will take appropriate action against offenders.” |
| Last November, West Midlands ambulance service highlighted a note complaining about an ambulance blocking a driveway as paramedics tried to save a man’s life in the Small Heath area of Birmingham. | Last November, West Midlands ambulance service highlighted a note complaining about an ambulance blocking a driveway as paramedics tried to save a man’s life in the Small Heath area of Birmingham. |
| “You may be saving lives, but don’t park your van in a stupid place and block my drive,” the note left under the ambulance’s windscreen wiper read. The patient later died in hospital. | “You may be saving lives, but don’t park your van in a stupid place and block my drive,” the note left under the ambulance’s windscreen wiper read. The patient later died in hospital. |
| A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman welcomed the police’s swift response to Sunday’s incident, and said the trust had a zero-tolerance policy towards people who abuse its staff. | A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman welcomed the police’s swift response to Sunday’s incident, and said the trust had a zero-tolerance policy towards people who abuse its staff. |
| “After previous notes were left on our ambulances last year, we’ve received unimaginable support from the public for which we are immensely grateful. Sadly, as this ambulance crew discovered yesterday, there are unfortunately still a handful of narrow-minded individuals who consider leaving vile abusive notes acceptable.” | “After previous notes were left on our ambulances last year, we’ve received unimaginable support from the public for which we are immensely grateful. Sadly, as this ambulance crew discovered yesterday, there are unfortunately still a handful of narrow-minded individuals who consider leaving vile abusive notes acceptable.” |
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