Angry note left on ambulance as paramedics attend cardiac arrest patient: 'Next time it will be smashed'
'WARNING THIS IS A PRIVATE PARKING SPACE' reads missive scrawled in green capitals
A man has been arrested after an angry note was left on an ambulance at the scene of a medical emergency threatening it would be “smashed”.
Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service (LAS) were treating a patient who had suffered a critical heart problem inside a nearby property at the time.
Police from Tower Hamlets in east London tweeted: “This was left on @Ldn_Ambulance after they were dealing with a cardiac arrest patient! Needless to say one is in custody now. #DTeam”.
The note, scrawled in green ink on a piece of A4 paper and written in capitals, warned the paramedics of the consequences of parking in the spot where they had left their vehicle, which it said was reserved for a specific person.
It read: “WARNING THIS IS A PRIVATE PARKING SPACE NEXT TIME IT WILL BE SMASHED”.
Tower Hamlets police confirmed on Wednesday morning that one person had been arrested.
The Metropolitan Police said its officers were called to Westferry Road at 3am on Wednesday to reports of a disturbance.
A 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and taken to an east London police station, it said.
No injuries were reported.
Natasha Wills, LAS’ assistant director of operations, said in a statement: “When responding to seriously ill and injured patients we prioritise getting to the scene quickly and safely.
“We try to cause minimal disruption when parking at the scene but unfortunately this isn’t always possible.
“It is never acceptable for our crews to be verbally or physically abused or assaulted while treating patients and we will always push for the highest possible sentence.”
Earlier this year, a woman was fined after she admitted leaving a foul-mouthed note on an ambulance in Stoke-on-Trent.
Kirsty Sharman, 26, told paramedics to “move your f***king van” and said she “couldn’t give a s***” if the entire road collapsed.
She also shouted at a male paramedic in what a magistrate called a “despicable incident”.
Sharman was later evicted from her house through a joint Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Staffordshire Police closure order, the BBC reported.
In Cambridgeshire this week, however, an ambulance crew shared a positive message left on their windscreen.
East of England Ambulance Service posted the note from a homeowner whose drive an ambulance had parked across.
It read: “I hope things are as good as can be. Don’t worry about our driveway, I’m not planning on going anywhere today.
“In fact, if you need to, don’t hesitate to park on our driveway. Thank you for all your work.”