To consider reporting this to the police...

[nomoredramarama]

Yesterday evening my parents who are in their 60s/70s were walking home together, after spending a few hours in a local pub. They were arm in arm and chatting. Someone had left the insides of a mattress on the pavement...so basically the box springs. It covered the width of the pavement. It was dark, raining and windy and they weren't looking down... so they didn't see it. So as my mum stepped forward, her foot landed on it and she immediately fell backwards and collided with the pavement . Because she was linked arms with my dad he fell too and landed first on top of her and then collided with the pavement aswell. Some passerby's carried them home. My parents refused an ambulance. They phoned me...I went over, checked there was no life threatening emergency....put my mums arms in slings and gave them painkillers. I went back over to see them today and took mum to A&E. An X-ray shows she has fractured both of her shoulders. She is now in slings and can hardly move her arms at all. We have to go back to hospital tomorrow to see a orthopaedic doctor and find out the next steps. Dad seems to have a rib injury but doesn't want to go to hospital which is fine...I know rib injuries can't be treated...just pain killers...and he's otherwise okay. Mum can hardly move.

I think this should be reported to the police? But I'm not sure. My parents think someone may have left the item on the pavement for a bit of a sick practical joke. Knowing someone would trip on it (but maybe not realising how severe the consequences would be). I think they might be right, or perhaps it was fly tipping? I haven't discussed reporting it to the police, with my parents yet, because we've just been dealing with the immediate problems....but I think they will disagree with me and won't want to involve the police.

It is very unlikely the police would ever find who left the item on the pavement....a stretch of pavement with no houses nearby/cctv etc.

So is there any point in reporting it? I'm thinking we should, just in case there's a pattern/ this has happened to others. A few months ago on the opposite side of my city, a motorcyclist died after colliding with an item in the road which had been left their for a 'practical joke'. I very much doubt my parents would even think of reporting what's happened to them.

I'm confused. Don't even know if this is a crime or not. Would I be unreasonable to report it to the police. Would the police be interested??

You would’nt be unreasonable to ring 101 tomorrow and ask for their advice. It might be there has been similar incidents that they know about.
Hope your parents recover well, but suggest your strongly encourage your father to get himself checked, GP/MI centre at least.

wouldn’t not would’nt

It’s not a criminal offence. It may be in contravention of a by law so maybe the council could advise.

No don't think its a police matter. Hope they make a good recovery. One of my DPs broke their shoulder last year and it has been an incredibly long recovery. Can only begin to imagine how difficult it must be with both shoulders broken. I wish your poor Mum well

It's fly-tipping. It's not a police matter. Call the council and report it, not the police.

I've just been having a look on the police website. It seems that there is a local neighbourhood team who deal with issues in the local community. There are issues with antisocial behaviour etc in the local area. Maybe we could just get in touch with them and let them know about what happened....without actually 'reporting' it as a crime.

It's just hard to see them in so much pain and needing so much help, due to someone else's stupid behaviour

Thank you sweeney

Wtaf? Ring the Police for what ?
I have read a few crazy threads today about ringing The Police. Think some people are bored.

Call the council, not the police.

OP without being rude, what can the police do in this situation? I doubt the council can do very much about it either. Unfortunately it was either someone fly tipping or playing a stupid 'practical joke'.

It's highly unlikely the culprit would be found.
I hope your mum makes a recovery soon.

There is nothing the police can do. I'm sorry your parents were hurt but it's unlikely to have been a malicious act in the first place: as a PP said, this is a 'nuisance' not a crime.

The council, I’d have thought?

I believe this comes under 'Fly-tipping'. Which is the 'illegal deposit of any waste onto land that does not have a licence to accept it'.

Because it is an illegal activity I am sure you could report it to the police.

Hope your mum and dad will be OK soon.

No, flytipping is a problem for the council to sort.

I thought flytipping was illegal and as such it's a police matter. Obviously not an emergency, but at a minimum make a report at the station. And of course, make sure the council knows so that they can clear it away so that no one else gets hurt.

Flytipping is not a police matter. They don’t have the resources to waste in attempting to track down who dumped a mattress under cover of darkness. Certainly not in a big city.

Thank you Italian, that is what I thought.

Ummm, and as mentioned earlier...a motorcyclist died a few months ago due to a similar practical joke. Evidence suggested it wasn't fly tipping, an item was left in the road for entertainment factor, of someone having an accident. The culprit was located and has been charged with murder, awaiting trial.

No-one has died here! But they have been injured. So if someone left it just to get some cheap thrills at another's expense, isn't that a crime? Or does the victim have to actually die?

If you Google 'Tackling Fly-tipping - National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group' there is a PDF. I don't thin the site is secure so I am not linking to it.

I think it is local council matter actually. Maybe it also depends where you live.

So is there any point in reporting it? I'm thinking we should, just in case there's a pattern/ this has happened to others. A few months ago on the opposite side of my city, a motorcyclist died after colliding with an item in the road which had been left their for a 'practical joke'.

Doesn't sound similar but you're the one there so you have a better idea than people on here. If you think theres a trend, I would report it. Whether the police will agree its worth investigating will depend on who gets to read the report I guess. Someone dying due to something left in the road is awful and terribly tragic.

What happened to your parents is appalling. You could certainly contact the police if you feel strongly enough, but honestly, whilst it might be forensically possible to track down dumpers of domestic rubbish given sufficient time, energy and cold hard cash, it’s unlikely your local police force would consider it a priority. Lack of funding has a huge impact and scarce resources are unlikely to be diverted to this.

Fly tipping certainly is a criminal offence. Here's a whole brochure on it!

www.tacklingflytipping.com/Documents/NFTPG-Files/Main_doc_landowner.pdf

Well, anyone thick enough to think leaving a mattress on a dark pathway was not a hazard is pretty dumb. Not sure how one proves anything but you could ring the non-urgent number and ask.

I live in a rural place but when I live in the city it was common to see things like an abandoned microwave (on the pavement) or burnt out car by the side of the road.

Anyway, hope they are better soon. Could your mum claim for injury against the local authority?

Thank you Sofia, I will let the council know.

Just so people understand I really don't expect this to be investigated or anyone to be reprimanded. I know the police have more serious crimes to investigate. However the consequences of this incident - wether fly tipping or practical joke - are pretty severe. My mum is in so much pain, can't move her arms, can't even get dressed/undressed, wipe her own bottom, drink a glass of water without help. She will be off work for at least 6 weeks. It's pretty devestating**

It's not taking the biscuit ....to be upset and to wonder if someone did this intentionally for a bit of a laugh...to be well f@@ked off with the consequences of their stupid behaviour...and to wonder if it should be reported to the police.

Well, you can certainly report it, and see what they think. Without discounting the idiocy of dumping a mattress in the street instead of actually paying the council to dispose of it properly, it does happen and is quite unlikely to be a malicious prank. Your parents were quite unlucky not to see it in their path.

SUNFLOWERS11...if you ever are the victim of another persons intentional idiotic behaviour...which leaves you in severe pain, with broken bones, unable to dress yourself, eat, drink or move without help..... perhaps you will gain some empathy.