Paint thrown at firefighter...

[dutchman]

Paint was thrown at a firefighter as she was on her way to help a vulnerable person in Kenilworth last night

It happened while she was cycling, in uniform, on Kenilworth Road to assist a person through the Hospital to Home scheme.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service said a car pulled alongside and threw the paint before speeding off towards Kenilworth and the people in the car were heard laughing.

She was left shaken, but unhurt and had to end her shift early because of the paint on her uniform.

The Chief Fire Officer, Kieran Amos, called the assault "abhorrent".

He said it "had implications on our crewing for the rest of the evening".

[dutchman]

'I won't let the attack stop me from doing my job' - Kenilworth firefighter describes the shocking moment idiots threw paint at her while she was on duty in Leamington



An on-call firefighter from Kenilworth has described the shocking moment paint was thrown at her while she was on duty in Leamington.

But although the incident shook her up, she was back on her bike the next day to help her community.

Alison Insley was on her bike in her firefighter uniform, 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 and threw paint at her at around 8.45pm on Wednesday November 11 in Kenilworth Road, as she was heading out of Leamington to Kenilworth.

Talking to the Courier and Weekly News, Alison - who works for the library service for Warwickshire County Council during the day and as an on-call firefighter at night - said she was shaken and upset after the attack, but she added: "I was back on my bike the next day for work. I don't see why this should change what I do."

Reflecting back on the incident, she said: "It was a wet and windy night and I was heading back to Kenilworth. I actually enjoy my bike ride after a shift as it gives me a chance to clear my head.

"Then suddenly it all happened so quickly. A car went passed me and then I remember hearing laughter and feeling something hit my arm. I thought it was debris from a tree or something like that, as that happens to cyclists.

"Then I thought 'why has the car got its window open when it is raining? Then I looked at my arm and saw paint on it.

"I was so annoyed and my first thought was that I could catch them. So I cycled off to see if I could catch them up but there was nothing I could do.

"I was calm and in control but when I got home I burst into tears.

"I spoke to the officer in charge and he took me off my shift for the rest of the night. I wanted to carry on but it was the right decision as I was shaken and still had paint on my uniform.

"I didn't sleep very well for a few nights afterwards but I am much better now."

Talking about the people who threw the paint, Alison said: "I genuinely do not know why they did it to me or if I was targeted.

"It takes a very strange mentality to do something like that and we do not understand it because we are all decent human beings.

"They obviously thought it was funny.

"They have gone out intentionally with some paint and I might not have been the only victim that night.

"Someone out there must know something. The paint came out of the passenger side and must have spilt on the car or the people.

There could be a parent who saw their kid come home with paint on them.

"I don't want this to happen to someone else."

[rebbonk]

The lady's job/occupation is irrelevant.

This is an unacceptable assault and is symptomatic of today's fractured society. Should the guilty be found and actually prosecuted, any punishment meted out by the courts will be far too insignificant to deter future offenders.