Squad car spotted in Asda disabled car space (From The Northern Echo)
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Squad car spotted in Asda disabled car space
8:10am Friday 3rd September 2010 in
POLICE have launched an inquiry after a squad car was seen parked in a disabled bay at a North-East supermarket.
The Durham Police car was spotted at 6.15pm on Wednesday by a shopper, who took a picture on their mobile phone and sent it to The Northern Echo.
Police said they would conduct an inquiry and would take disciplinary action if the officer concerned was found to have parked inappropriately at the Asda store, in Whinbush Way, Darlington.
The shopper who photographed the car, along with a charity which helps disabled people in Darlington, reacted angrily to the picture.
The shopper, who did not want to be identified, said: “Is this what I am paying my council tax for? I was disgusted.”
Last night, charity Darlington Association on Disability also raised concerns.
Chairman Gordon Pybus said: “If there was no emergency, it is an absolute disgrace.
It makes you lose a lot of faith in what the police are doing in terms of equality.
They have a duty, as officers of the law, to promote equality.
“People may think it is a minor thing to park like that, but for a person who needs that bay, it is a major thing.
“We shouldn’t have to tolerate this from police officers.
“Anyone else who parked in a disabled bay without a blue badge would get a ticket.
“It is just not acceptable behaviour from the police.”
Inspector Kevan McCarthy said the force was investigating the incident.
“We are looking to establish why a police car was parked in that bay. If the vehicle has been inappropriately parked, then we will take internal action regarding that issue with the officer concerned,” he said.
“We fully support the ethos of any organisation, including supermarkets, making provisions to help disabled people access the facilities by providing these bays.”
Comments(75)
darlopaul
says...
9:17am Fri 3 Sep 10
stevegg
says...
10:04am Fri 3 Sep 10
Butafly
says...
10:19am Fri 3 Sep 10
assasin420
says...
10:21am Fri 3 Sep 10
I take my father in law, who is disabled, to ASDA. Nobody enforces the parking restrictions so there are no grounds to moan. Ignorant drivers park in disabled bays, child park bays and if the cones were not there I suspect they would drive into the shop.
All the Echo seems to publish is bad news, how about supporting our police our community and our town.
Be positive for once!
sherburn
says...
10:30am Fri 3 Sep 10
TheSeer
says...
10:35am Fri 3 Sep 10
Bambooflyrod
says...
10:44am Fri 3 Sep 10
If that's what you want to do, how about photographing the able bodied people who abuse the disabled badges all the time. Not just in the supermarkets but in the Town as well.
taxpayers
says...
11:53am Fri 3 Sep 10
Bambooflyrod wrote:could not agree more this comment just about sums it up,i hope the person who took the photograph needs the police one day in a hurry and gets his/her just deserts!!
Yee Gods.... is this the best the Echo can do. Report on information from people with little else to do than stick their noses into something that has nothing to do with them. If that's what you want to do, how about photographing the able bodied people who abuse the disabled badges all the time. Not just in the supermarkets but in the Town as well.
oidicko
says...
12:11pm Fri 3 Sep 10
loan_star
says...
12:25pm Fri 3 Sep 10
sherburn
says...
12:37pm Fri 3 Sep 10
cmjdt
says...
12:57pm Fri 3 Sep 10
Butafly
says...
12:59pm Fri 3 Sep 10
er bays,who dont have a badge or a baby,and just park there because of lazyness. I once seen a woman who was maybe late 50s,who parked near me as I was in mother+baby bay,she was using a disabled badge,yet she flew around that shop faster than me,carrying all her bags. Maybe the photo grass should start shopping where I shop and catch the woman aswel as the police. Haha wel atleast this headline gave us a laught,makes a change from all the sad news we usual read.
MrMorden
says...
1:19pm Fri 3 Sep 10
Go there any day or time and you see it.
Butafly
says...
1:29pm Fri 3 Sep 10
ladyboy1
says...
1:38pm Fri 3 Sep 10
billysaid
says...
1:44pm Fri 3 Sep 10
cmjdt wrote:agreed. fact.
aye they might have a hard enough job to do. but if the law carnt abide by the law how do they expect anyone else to?? at the end of the day it was a disabled bay all said and done and sure to god there would have been loads of places he/she could have parked. hope they do get a ticket cos all us law abiding tax payers would do!!!!
buching
says...
2:04pm Fri 3 Sep 10
poor journalism Lauren Pyrah
billysaid
says...
2:07pm Fri 3 Sep 10
Dean M
says...
2:07pm Fri 3 Sep 10
MrMorden wrote:Asda's monitoring of their parking policy is one thing but perhaps they should put a sign up saying everyone is free to ignore the disabled parking signs, and can park where they want. Or is it just coppers that should be free to ignore the signs? How do we know the cop had good reason to be there? Maybe we'll find out...
Loads of people park in those disabled bays and they dont get clamped or fined or asked to park elsewhere. Go there any day or time and you see it.
.
Maybe the person taking the photo is someone who has been nicked driving at 33 in a 30 - for which they were shown no mercy, and suffered the large fine and the points for such a minor offence. It wasn't me by the way (taking the photo, or nicked for doing 33 in a 30)!
.
This one is obviously a minor issue, but when it comes to obeying the law/rules, coppers must lead by example. Or if they are heavy-handed or show no discretion when dealing with offences committed by the public, then these examples of the public turning against them will only increase. They can't have it both ways!
spennyres
says...
2:25pm Fri 3 Sep 10
entitled opinion
says...
2:42pm Fri 3 Sep 10
Magic Steve
says...
4:59pm Fri 3 Sep 10
There a far too many Disabled Parking Bays at all Car Parks nowadays!
*shakes head slowly*
says...
5:46pm Fri 3 Sep 10
Daza
says...
7:55pm Fri 3 Sep 10
Nice to see support of the Police in general. See the odd Police hater has put comments on.
Billie Aycliffe. If you work and pay taxes, The police 'may' be your servant. if you don't, they definitely aint!
TheSeer
says...
8:29pm Fri 3 Sep 10
Daza
says...
8:54pm Fri 3 Sep 10
Dean M wrote:Why don't you put up, and give an example of someone being 'done' for 33 in a 30!
MrMorden wrote: Loads of people park in those disabled bays and they dont get clamped or fined or asked to park elsewhere. Go there any day or time and you see it.Asda's monitoring of their parking policy is one thing but perhaps they should put a sign up saying everyone is free to ignore the disabled parking signs, and can park where they want. Or is it just coppers that should be free to ignore the signs? How do we know the cop had good reason to be there? Maybe we'll find out... . Maybe the person taking the photo is someone who has been nicked driving at 33 in a 30 - for which they were shown no mercy, and suffered the large fine and the points for such a minor offence. It wasn't me by the way (taking the photo, or nicked for doing 33 in a 30)! . This one is obviously a minor issue, but when it comes to obeying the law/rules, coppers must lead by example. Or if they are heavy-handed or show no discretion when dealing with offences committed by the public, then these examples of the public turning against them will only increase. They can't have it both ways!
Truth is, you can't.
kendizx9r
says...
9:39pm Fri 3 Sep 10
signed pc plod.
D D Coy
says...
11:28pm Fri 3 Sep 10
Big Dave
says...
9:22am Sat 4 Sep 10
Super steve
says...
9:40am Sat 4 Sep 10
I dont think we jump to conclusions over this, plus its rather a minor infringement.
sensible
says...
10:07am Sat 4 Sep 10
The thing is - no-one actually knows. Every post here has 'if' in it somewhere!
Big Dave
says...
10:19am Sat 4 Sep 10
sensible wrote:..."no one actually knows" being the key phrase...
my gut reaction is that the cop wasnt there on official business. The very first thing the inspector would have done was ask the plod concerned what he/she was doing there. 'Official business', no problem and an explanation given - 'Buying a paper' = investigationto be carried out. The thing is - no-one actually knows. Every post here has 'if' in it somewhere!
Trial and Error
says...
12:59pm Sat 4 Sep 10
cmjdt wrote:100% Agree, if that was you or I we would have had a £30 or £60 fine slapped on us. Theres too many plod lovers on here who think the sun shines out of their ar**s. Now if they can get away with it, Im off to Tesco to park in the disabled spots.
aye they might have a hard enough job to do. but if the law carnt abide by the law how do they expect anyone else to?? at the end of the day it was a disabled bay all said and done and sure to god there would have been loads of places he/she could have parked. hope they do get a ticket cos all us law abiding tax payers would do!!!!
grove
says...
1:18pm Sat 4 Sep 10
whilst all the time the goverment are trying to stop smoking adverts so not to influance the kids.
ladyboy1
says...
2:11pm Sat 4 Sep 10
billysaid
says...
3:34pm Sat 4 Sep 10
grove wrote:what you talking about here,,,you clown. fact.
What about the fact that ASDA's SmOKING Shelter is in full sight of the school, and that every school day the children walk to and from the school seeing the smokers, whilst all the time the goverment are trying to stop smoking adverts so not to influance the kids.
darlo-rhino
says...
7:02pm Sat 4 Sep 10
Dean M
says...
9:57pm Sat 4 Sep 10
""Dean M wrote:
"Maybe the person taking the photo is someone who has been nicked driving at 33 in a 30 - for which they were shown no mercy, and suffered the large fine and the points for such a minor offence."
Why don't you put up, and give an example of someone being 'done' for 33 in a 30!
Truth is, you can't.""
I didn't say anyone had, I used the word 'maybe'. Read it again.
.
Having said that, an ex-colleague of mine claimed that a friend of his had been done for 33 in a 30. I don't know if it's true but he seemed an honest type. And I do know someone who got done for 35 in a 30, driving out of town, just before a boundary change, where the copper was obviously placed simply to raise money. Rules are rules many people will say and will have no sympathy - shame the copper above didn't lead by example and follow the rules. Unless it was urgent of course..
Big Dave
says...
11:08am Sun 5 Sep 10
Trial and Error wrote:...you obviously never read the comments. The disabled bays in Asda are NON ENFORCABLE. This means that no, you wouldn't get a ticket, ever, from the police for parking in Asda's disabled bays. I guarantee that the supermarket would be reluctant to enforce the bays...especially when recipients of tickets start threatening to withdraw their custom.
cmjdt wrote: aye they might have a hard enough job to do. but if the law carnt abide by the law how do they expect anyone else to?? at the end of the day it was a disabled bay all said and done and sure to god there would have been loads of places he/she could have parked. hope they do get a ticket cos all us law abiding tax payers would do!!!!100% Agree, if that was you or I we would have had a £30 or £60 fine slapped on us. Theres too many plod lovers on here who think the sun shines out of their ar**s. Now if they can get away with it, Im off to Tesco to park in the disabled spots.
I am a "plod lover" as you so eloquently put it, so I'm going to give this one the benefit of the doubt before whinging...I'm assuming from this and your previous posts that you've got a parking ticket or some sort of traffic fine which you obviously feel is immensely unfair (not because you did it, more because you were caught). Go park in the bay...promise you won't get a ticket!
billysaid
says...
3:55pm Sun 5 Sep 10
Chippyman
says...
8:11pm Sun 5 Sep 10
Lets get more hung about the low lifes that get invalid benefit when there is sod all wrong with them and simplely sponge off the state. New cars,road tax,carers allowance the bloody list is endless.A family leving near me share a walking stick to go down the docs for some more sicky notes. Makes the hardworking people of this country sick to the stomach. Sort them out out then we can sort the bobby out who parked his car wrong. Have a good day (oh and any body who has just lost their job i feel for you- but dont bother with the SS office you wont get anywhere)
cj-dog
says...
9:52pm Sun 5 Sep 10
I'm aware that obesity is at epidemic levels - but I thought that only applied to thick chavs!
Do they still have to do fitness for duty tests, like forces BFT's?
.
Genuine question?
Trial and Error
says...
6:50am Mon 6 Sep 10
Big Dave wrote:Ive never had a parking ticket or any sort of traffic ticket in my life and if your a Plod Lover, you must be so proud of Sgt Andrews who is in the news at present for throwing a 50 odd yr old woman onto the cell floor cutting her badly? No ?
Trial and Error wrote:...you obviously never read the comments. The disabled bays in Asda are NON ENFORCABLE. This means that no, you wouldn't get a ticket, ever, from the police for parking in Asda's disabled bays. I guarantee that the supermarket would be reluctant to enforce the bays...especially when recipients of tickets start threatening to withdraw their custom. I am a "plod lover" as you so eloquently put it, so I'm going to give this one the benefit of the doubt before whinging...I'm assuming from this and your previous posts that you've got a parking ticket or some sort of traffic fine which you obviously feel is immensely unfair (not because you did it, more because you were caught). Go park in the bay...promise you won't get a ticket!cmjdt wrote: aye they might have a hard enough job to do. but if the law carnt abide by the law how do they expect anyone else to?? at the end of the day it was a disabled bay all said and done and sure to god there would have been loads of places he/she could have parked. hope they do get a ticket cos all us law abiding tax payers would do!!!!100% Agree, if that was you or I we would have had a £30 or £60 fine slapped on us. Theres too many plod lovers on here who think the sun shines out of their ar**s. Now if they can get away with it, Im off to Tesco to park in the disabled spots.
Big Dave
says...
10:32am Mon 6 Sep 10
Back on topic though, how come you're so adamant that you'd get a ticket when you've never had one? The plod must have upset you in another way!
*shakes head slowly*
says...
10:44am Mon 6 Sep 10
Her injuries, whilst distressing, are nothing compare to the imjuries she could have caused by driving under the influence, but so long as she doesn't do anything serious like park in a disabled bay, this fact will be overlooked! LOL!
MrMorden
says...
1:20pm Mon 6 Sep 10
Nothing story
Big Dave
says...
1:43pm Mon 6 Sep 10
*shakes head slowly* wrote:...absolutely!
Yes, the woman in question was in her car, drunk as a skunk, then stroppy and gobby in the station. Her injuries, whilst distressing, are nothing compare to the imjuries she could have caused by driving under the influence, but so long as she doesn't do anything serious like park in a disabled bay, this fact will be overlooked! LOL!
Dean M
says...
9:39pm Mon 6 Sep 10
"100% Agree, if that was you or I we would have had a £30 or £60 fine slapped on us. Theres too many plod lovers on here who think the sun shines out of their ar**s. Now if they can get away with it, Im off to Tesco to park in the disabled spots."
.
Would you like to retract this comment, Trial and Error? It's just that, well, I agree with it - and it just seems odd that we agree on something! Except for fine being enforceable of course.
Dean M
says...
10:08pm Mon 6 Sep 10
Big Dave wrote:I don't claim to know all the facts but wasn't she sleeping it off in her car? Maybe she was unaware of the legal position regarding this (as I am) and perhaps she was annoyed and upset at being arrested when she was trying to do the right thing. Anyone know the facts?
*shakes head slowly* wrote:...absolutely!
Yes, the woman in question was in her car, drunk as a skunk, then stroppy and gobby in the station. Her injuries, whilst distressing, are nothing compare to the imjuries she could have caused by driving under the influence, but so long as she doesn't do anything serious like park in a disabled bay, this fact will be overlooked! LOL!
.
However, for now, to appease the police Sgt's supporters, why don't we agree on a level of violence that PCs can inflict on people who are annoyed at being arrested or who upset them? I'd suggest killing people for walking on the cracks of the pavement, such as the newspaper seller in London, is a little extreme. I also think the violent baton attack on the G20 protestor for carrying a carton of orange juice is also a bit harsh. How about if they are allowed to beat people unconscious, providing they regain consciousness? If they die then this will have to be investigated (obviously by a discredited pathologist, so that no formal charges can be brought) and if proven, perhaps the internal disciplinary action could be no more paid overtime for the rest of that week? Fair enough?
melwilson
says...
10:19pm Mon 6 Sep 10
mcjordiuk
says...
12:17am Tue 7 Sep 10
also "disabled parking spaces" dont exist in private car parks. there is no legal obligation to show a blue badge when parking in the "fake" disabled bay.
i hope durham constabulary see sense in this and do nothing.. as said above the officer has broken no law
Big Dave
says...
8:31am Tue 7 Sep 10
*shakes head slowly*
says...
8:36am Tue 7 Sep 10
*koff* *splutter*
LOLLL!!!!
Dean M
says...
1:14pm Tue 7 Sep 10
*shakes head slowly* wrote:What a coincidence, as I said - neither do I.
"I don't claim to know all the facts ..."
*koff* *splutter*
LOLLL!!!!
LOLLY. Oh, plus !!!!! of course.
.
BBC news reported that she had been sleeping in her car, that (as I said) is about all I know. However, I'm uneasy about PCs being unable to restrain a lone woman and resorting to throwing her to the floor, splitting open her face. Deliberately, looking at the CCTV pics.
.
Big Dave - who has argued that 'she'd done nothing wrong so she should be able to do what she wants in custody'? If she refused to provide a specimen, refused to co-operate etc then surely these are specific offences for which she can be charged; it doesn't mean she should be beaten senseless.
Dean M
says...
1:56pm Tue 7 Sep 10
.
The copper slaps her before throwing her down. She was knocked out cold, suffered facial injuries and needed hospital treatment. And now needs a cataract operation.
.
But that's okay, she objected to being arrested for having done nothing wrong, so the cops should be able to beat her as severely as they wish. But how severe should the injuries be before the cops have to answer?
.
I dread to think what went on before CCTV was around (and what still does, when it isn't).
Dean M
says...
2:00pm Tue 7 Sep 10
.
The copper slaps her before throwing her down. She was knocked out cold, suffered facial injuries and needed hospital treatment. And now needs a cataract operation.
.
But that's okay, she objected to being arrested for having done nothing wrong, so the cops should be able to beat her as severely as they wish. But how severe should the injuries be before the cops have to answer?
.
I dread to think what went on before CCTV was around (and what still does, when it isn't).
Dean M
says...
2:00pm Tue 7 Sep 10
.
The copper slaps her before throwing her down. She was knocked out cold, suffered facial injuries and needed hospital treatment. And now needs a cataract operation.
.
But that's okay, she objected to being arrested for having done nothing wrong, so the cops should be able to beat her as severely as they wish. But how severe should the injuries be before the cops have to answer?
.
I dread to think what went on before CCTV was around (and what still does, when it isn't).
Dean M
says...
2:02pm Tue 7 Sep 10
Dean M
says...
2:02pm Tue 7 Sep 10
Big Dave
says...
2:37pm Tue 7 Sep 10
Jolly Roger
says...
8:00pm Tue 7 Sep 10
Also if he was there for an official reason he could have parked right outside the shop doors as no one would have said anything.
So come on the Chief Constable prosecute him and congratulations to the Echo for publishing the picture.
Jolly Roger
says...
11:01pm Tue 7 Sep 10
So the policeman concerned should know better.
Also I hope none of you lot are disabled in the future because then you would realise what a godsend there are.
But to use a disabled bay for whatever reason, is beyond a joke for him or her as they did not have a proper Blue Badge.
mcjordiuk
says...
11:52pm Tue 7 Sep 10
Trial and Error
says...
7:00am Wed 8 Sep 10
Big Dave
says...
7:55am Wed 8 Sep 10
Trial and Error wrote:...so they can't win. If the officer was there on official business and arresting a shoplifter for argument's sake, they are told to park as close to the location as possible. This is so they can take the (suspected) thief from the store and into the car in the shortest possible distance. As most of the cops are now single crewed due to cuts, this is reasonable in my opinion, rather than having to walk a sometimes volatile suspect to the far reaches of a car park, struggling alone. It also prevents the poor lamb (!) who is arrested from complaining about being humiliated by being lead around in handcuffs as it "breaches their human rights". It prevents disruption to the store who don't want their customers inconvenienced and prevents the usual crowd of rubberneckers who stop and drop everything when they think there's something more interesting than their chat about last night's tv in the offing.
He / She still parked in it with no thought for any disabled person, therefore they are a knob. Case or no case. Oh and 6mths for the wwoman beating Cop.Not long enough but haha for him anyway.
Unfortunately, this sometimes means parking on double yellow lines, or shock horror disabled parking bays- which as we see in this instance aren't even proper bays but merely advisory ones installed to meet contractual obligations by the store. Nice to see that people such as yourself Trial and Error are so open minded in their deliberations, eh?
stevegg
says...
11:29am Wed 8 Sep 10
Dean M
says...
1:25pm Wed 8 Sep 10
.
Regardless of whether it is 'unenforceable' or not, those bays are there for a reason and we should all have the decency to respect this. And coppers should lead by example.
Heat1969
says...
1:40pm Wed 8 Sep 10
Dean M
says...
4:55pm Wed 8 Sep 10
"I bet not one of you anti-police people have ever parked somewhere you shouldn't just to 'nip into the local store' to grab a paper or a packet of ciggies, lol"
.
I did once - the cops nicked me!
.
Just kidding. And I'm not 'anti-police' by the way.
Jolly Roger
says...
5:37pm Wed 8 Sep 10
Trial and Error
says...
6:08pm Wed 8 Sep 10
Jolly Roger
says...
11:11pm Wed 8 Sep 10
Did he have one no, so he broke the rules, and should be punished like anyone else ......... no ifs or buts.
Big Dave
says...
8:53am Thu 9 Sep 10
Trial and Error wrote:...no, it couldn't be more different than your job. You wouldn't get photographed parked in a disabled bay then have people out for your head (irrespective of the circumstances of you parking there in the first place). When you do something at work it's not usually commented on by all and sundry. No one moans when you get your bait or nip into a shop. So they're not the same- and I bet you don't work crap shifts!
Heat1969, I dont buy news papers as they print utter pap anyway and I dont smoke, so no, I dont park where I should'nt. Big Dave, At this particular store the Plod in question if arresting someone could have parked closer as to not humiliate the poor chav instead of the disabled bay. I have no sympathy for the Police, they do a job and are well payed to do it as am I with mine, its no different.
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PARKING ROW: The police car parked in a disabled bay at supermarket Asda, in Whinbush Way, Darlington
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DarloMatt says...
8:54am Fri 3 Sep 10
Perhaps ASDA should take out all the cones from the Drop-Off/Pick-Up point (as seen coned off in the image!).