Paramedics were left stunned after finding a note demanding they moved their ambulance during a 999 call with the message:”I don’t give a sh*t if the whole street collapses”.
The angry message was written by a woman who was annoyed that an ambulance was in a resident’s parking bay on Sunday morning (18/2).
West Midlands Ambulance Service said the resident also verbally abused staff members during the emergency call-out in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs.
The note read: “If this van is for anyone but No.14 then you have no right to park here.
“I couldn’t give a s**t if the whole street collapses. Now move your van from outside my house.”
Paramedic Katie Tudor, tweeted the image with the caption: “So upset to be sent this by one of our crews this morning!
“Along with this note left on their ambulance, they received a load of verbal abuse!”
She later added: “They weren’t blocking the road, they were in a parking space… just obviously annoying someone that an ambo was outside their property.”
The paramedic, who is based in Stoke-on-Trent, then went on to ask: “Is there anything that can be done about this? It’s becoming a regular occurrence 😔🚑”.
Nick Adderley, Assistant Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police, responded to her and said: “Criminally Katie it would be a matter for the CPS to consider if they have committed a public order offence, which in the purest sense they may have under section 5 Public Order Act. The threshold may not have been met with that note though.”
He added: “Sadly we have to ‘tolerate’ those in society who only ever think about themselves until such time when they need you/us. Then it’s a different story. Just know that 99.9% of the public really value and appreciate what you/we do.”
Katie replied: Thank you for your comments and I agree, however, I think the crew were most upset by the verbal abuse and distress caused to their patient rather than the note.”
Paramedic operational manager Mike Duggan also shared a picture of the note and said the emergency services were increasingly facing growing level of hostility.
He tweeted: “Very angry to see yet again people getting grief for doing their job. We don’t block the road for something to do 😡😡”
He told Birmingham Live: “People seem to have no respect for the work we’re doing or the fact we’re helping someone.
“We don’t block roads for the sake of it.
“We are seeing more and more abuse – this was not an isolated incident.
“But these people would want our help if it was one of their relatives.
Today Staffordshire Police confirmed a 26-year-old woman from the Tunstall area had been arrested on suspicion of a Section 4 Public Order offence.
The woman, who has not been named, remains in police custody and enquiries are on-going.
Chief Inspector John Owen, Commander for Stoke North Local Policing Team, 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.”
