An Elderly Lady Desperate To Use The Toilet Found Her Mobility Scooter Was Wheel Clamped With The Shrikeshire County Parish Council Demanding £200 For Its Release
An elderly lady who claimed she was desperate for the bathroom, parked her mobility scooter up outside the local Council Offices last Friday the 7th April. Ethel Morags from Gransted asked for permission to used the disabled toilets, was granted access, and then came back outside to see her scooter’s wheel had been clamped. Her offence was classed as “parking in privately allocated council spaces reserved for senior council officials.”
Her son Derek Morags tried to remove the clamp with his bare hands and ended up falling back on the concrete slipping a disk in his back. “Who the bloody hell do these toff nosed ******’s think they are? You have clamped the wheel of an elderly lady with mobility issues, and asked for money from her. This is extortion and bang out of order!”
They had asked her for £200 to be paid within 28 days for the clamp to come off, and £75 if paid within the first 7 days. Derek laughs “They make it sound like they are being reasonable, and I’m sure many people would be scared into paying quickly. Little did I know my mother paid this extortionate fine and still six days later the clamp remains.”
Ethel herself states “To be honest I was busting for the lavatory and the last thing on my mind was looking at road markings. Have you ever had that burning feeling in your tummy, and if you don’t find a loo within two minutes, it’s coming out ready or not?” We sure have and believe everyone else has, but Phillipa Morris Council Representative said “Had she merely used the disabled parking space around the back of the car park, this would not have been an issue. But the process started and can’t be reversed!”
One person sympathising with Ethel’s plight is Mayor Graham Parsnip who says he is pushing through red tape in order to get this sorted, and Ethel her scooter back. “It’s a shocking state of affairs, council employees not thinking straight, other council employees not able to reverse the decision because different departments need official approval. It’s one area I intend to look into and improve.”
Had this been a budget extension for a Council private party we have a feeling the i’s would be dotted and the t’s crossed very quickly. However, with the recent story about Bailiff’s sent to people giving negative comments about the council we, at the Shrikeshire Times, will not be expressing an opinion or choosing sides.
“We extend our hand of friendship to Ethel and her family and they are free to come and tour the Council Offices and see what we do as means of recompense and apology.”
Ethel’s son Derek responds “This is just disgusting rehtoric. Takes weeks to get sorted, and your compensation is a tour of tower corruption? What’s next, do they take a disabled man’s walking frame, ask for £200 for it back, then send a letter 3 weeks later saying, sorry we made a mistake, would you like to join the County Parish Council zoom meeting?”
We are sure many sympathise with the Morag family and are keen to know if anyone else has experienced something similar recently.
