Cosham fire fighters hit out after parked car prevents them attending an emergency

On November 28, Cosham Fire Station tweeted that a silver Ford Focus had been left unattended directly blocking a front line emergency fire appliance.

The blockage meant that fire crews were unable to attend what was a serious road traffic collision.

Station manager Steve Jenkins said: ‘Events like this highlight the disregard drivers have for emergency services.’

The driver of the silver car has been criticised on twitter by the public after the station tweeted a photograph of the situation with the caption ‘mindless parking award’.

The photograph received many infuriated responses.

One tweet from a Santa account stated: ‘I’ve added the driver to the naughty list. A copy of the Highway Code will be placed in their stocking too!’

Just days after the Ford Focus event went viral on social media, another driver parked on hatch markings in front of Cosham Station bays. The firefighters, who save countless lives in the suburb, asked the driver to move but were simply answered with ‘I’m waiting for someone’.

Unfortunately the emergency services regularly deal with such situations.

In July 2019, a Porsche pulled into a Birmingham fire station, blocking the exit route for fire engines. The excuse given by the driver was a ‘wedding emergency.’

Such incidents show the disrespect with which these life saving heroes can be treat. Fire services alone saved 38,144 lives between April 2018 and March 2019.

Twitter brought the people of Cosham together to share their opinions on the matter. They think that the fire station should be allowed to move the obstruction by any means and not have to pay for any damages. Would this move be justified? To join the ongoing conversation online, visit @cosham23 on Twitter.

Emma Logan, aged 13