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news
Leamington Fire Station (via Facebook)Paint thrown on firefighter as she cycled back from helping vulnerable person
The head of Warwickshire Fire & Rescue has described as "abhorrent" an incident in which a female firefighter, cycling back from visiting a vulnerable member of the community, had paint thrown over her by the occupants of a car who then made off, laughing as they went.
The incident happened at around 8.45pm last Wednesday 11 November 11 on Kenilworth Road in Leamington Spa, reports the Leamington Courier.
The firefighter was said to be in shock following the incident, which happened as she was returning from visiting a vulnerable member of the community as part of the Hospital to Home scheme.
The firefighter was returning from her second call of the evening to assist a vulnerable resident through the Hospital to Home scheme, when a car pulled up alongside her as she cycled and threw paint at her.
While not all of the paint hit her, some did splash on her uniform, meaning she could not carry on with her shift.
Kieran Amos, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Services Chief Fire Officer, commented: “Any attack on a firefighter is abhorrent and I am disgusted that anyone would think this is acceptable behaviour.
"Our firefighters are working hard to support the most vulnerable in our communities and attacking them in this way is totally unacceptable.
"What may seem like a joke, meant that we were left with a firefighter who was visibly shaken by the incident, which in turn had implications on our crewing for the rest of the evening.
“Now more than ever we need to work together as a community and ensure that emergency workers are able to undertake their duty without having to deal with mindless acts such as this one."
He added: "I would urge anyone with any information on the incident to call Warwickshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 401/111120."
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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20 comments
What would make a nice end to this story, would be...
The firefighter finds out who the car belongs to.
The car mysteriously catches fire a few days later, the driver rings the fire brigade.
The fire brigade arrive at the owner's house, lights flashing, sirens wailing... and just watch it burn 😀
That would not happen. Because, as you well know, LTNs do not restrict access for vehicles they prevent rat running.
More likely due to the queue of traffic rat-running through their road, but no less funny for that
Nigel Garbage
You should be aware that it's always motorists that obsruct emergency vehicles and buses, where most of them driver with EMPTY SEATS and taking up a WHOLE lane.
And you should be aware, there are many other barriers restricting normal motor traffic where only buses and emergency vehicles are permitted.
Of course, it's pure coincidence that the person who was targetted was riding a bike at the time...
Is assaulting someone riding a bike a hate crime yet?
Don't be daft, they're asking for it...
I thought it was just me. Only a water pistol this time.
Nice wide pass though!
That's why I didn't report. You can't expect to have a nice wide pass without the water pistol I suppose..
Who do you think you are? You'll be asking for segregated infrastructure next!
They must think the sun shines out of your arse.
"a car pulled up alongside her as she cycled and threw paint at her."
They need to do something about those cars going round throwing paint at people 😉
Scumbag motorists!
'Bout time they were registered and insured and made to obey the law....
He didn't seem to get it. This was an attack on a cyclist who just happens to be a firefighter.
Well duh. He's a firefighter.
However the converse is also usefully true. When these toerags get the book thrown at them with extra bonus punishment for assaulting a member of the emergency services all cyclists will benefit. Because all people will remember is some twats got jailed (hopefully) for throwing paint on a firefighter.
Well due; would he give a ff if she was just a cyclist?
I'd have more confidence in this outcome if she hadn't been wearing her uniform at the time. But I suspect if you're the sort pre-disposed to throw paint on someone, then the lesson you would learn from this is not "don't throw paint on someone" or "cyclists might be firefighters" but "don't thrown paint on cyclists wearing an emergency services uniform".
I thought this. I was worried that I perhaps was nitpicking, but he seemed to make out that it was fine except for the fact this was a firefighter, and was more worried about her uniform and shift.
This was a direct assault on a vulnerable member of the public (a lone woman on a bike at night) by at least 2 people in a car. That to me is the bigger issue
"What may seem like a joke..."
really, Mr Amos?