VANDALS have been targeting the cars of NHS workers forced to park in residential areas says a Warwick Hospital employee.
Jodie Jones says her car was ‘pelted’ with mud, grit and stones at the start of the pandemic, and since then other staff have reported similar incidents.
Among the more recent was a midwife who found thick black grease across her wiper blades.
Jodie said: “She didn’t realise until she was on the motorway home after work in the dark and rain, turned her wipers on and it smeared across her windscreen leaving her unable to see.
“There’s several occasions where this has happened to different staff members now in a variety of ways.
“Obviously after long days at work this is the last thing we need and I’m sure these residents would be first to use our services at the hospital should they need them.”
Jodie explained, despite receiving a long-awaited permit, parking remained limited at the hospital – particularity at weekends.
She added: “We have enough trouble parking and that’s how the local community repay us.”
Other incidents include notes left on the cars, staff being shouting at, messages warning against parking written in black permanent marker across windscreens and cars scraped with sharp objects.
Danielle Bristow from the Central Safer Neighbourhood Team said: “We are aware of reports that vehicles have been damaged while parked in the residential streets surrounding Warwick Hospital, at present there is nothing to indicate that the vehicles are being targeted because of any links with the NHS. I have been in talks with the head of security at Warwick Hospital and we continue to monitor this and encourage anyone with any information to report this via 101, www.warwickshire.police.uk or using Crimestoppers.”
