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Sydenham garden police smash 'trapped gran in Second World War' (From This Is Local London)
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Sydenham garden police smash 'trapped gran in Second World War'
9:00am Tuesday 4th September 2012 in News Exclusive By Mark Chandler
Eileen with dog Coco
A GRAN whose garden was decimated when a police car smashed into it is now trapped in a Second World War timewarp.
Eileen Lee's daughter says the 76-year-old has taken to crouching on the ground with her hands over her head when she hears a noise, repeatedly shouting: "Run for cover, the bombs are dropping."
Daughter Maxine said the pensioner was up watching television and had let her pomeranian dog Coco, out in the back garden when the accident happened early on August 22.
A police car had been about to pursue a motorbike up Kirkdale in Sydenham but ended up overturning and slamming into the retired fashion worker's garden fence.
Her daughter, who claims police have been uncooperative since the accident, said: "Mum thought it was bombs and she's gone into complete shock.
"It wrecked the garden completely. When she saw it was a police car she thought her dog was underneath it."
When Maxine Lee, 49, arrived she walked into chaotic scenes, quickly discovering her mum was not her usual self.
She said: "With all the fire engines, ambulances, and road closures it was like something out of a movie.
"It was the worst experience of both our lives.
"But when more police arrived they didn't even offer mum a cup of tea."
Now Ms Lee says the grandmother-of-two, who survived a Second World War bomb which destroyed her family's Bromley home, has developed psychiatric problems, even cowering when there's a knock on the door.
She said: "It's taken my mum right back to the war days.
"When she's in hospital she thinks she's in air raid shelters. She doesn't know where she is or who people are.
"It must have been the impact - the noise, the banging, the smashing of glass - which has caused this."
Ms Lee is now looking for legal help, claiming police treated her mum in an offhand way, not apologising for the accident and leaving the garden unsecured for three days.
If you can help Maxine Lee, call her on 020 8641 1146.
A Met Police spokesman said: "We have launched a full investigation into the collision between a police vehicle and a residential fence on August 22.
"A senior officer has met with Eileen Lee and her family to discuss the matter."
Comments(14)
DrDBexley
says...
12:28pm Tue 4 Sep 12
And then...
"Now Ms Lee says the grandmother-of-two, who survived a Second World War bomb which destroyed her family's Bromley home...."
So, effectively police car through the wall is worse than entire house being blown up!?
Seriously!?!? Or do we think perhaps Ms Lee be over reacting just sightly!
Traumatic as this incident may have been, it's not the police's "fault" as it was something that doesn't ever seem to happen any longer...an accident.
If the accident just happens to be the straw that broke the camels back in terms of the poor lady's mental state, then blame the accumulation of all life's experiences, not just a single accident.
Invicta58
says...
1:10pm Tue 4 Sep 12
No good wasting time chasing criminals etc when there are Garibaldi’s requiring urgent deployment.
Polly Staight
says...
1:12pm Tue 4 Sep 12
http://www.newsshopp
er.co.uk/news/bromle
y/9907582.Beckenham_
man_shines_laser_pen
_at_police_helicopte
r/?action=add_commen
t
I am now in a position to say quite categorically...
"Je reposé mon válise."
old nick
says...
3:16pm Tue 4 Sep 12
the wall
says...
3:27pm Tue 4 Sep 12
Guess who ;) AGAIN !
says...
4:23pm Tue 4 Sep 12
Maybe she thinks it's a glove puppet.
rojo174
says...
5:34pm Tue 4 Sep 12
batey
says...
10:36pm Tue 4 Sep 12
handymanchris
says...
11:54pm Tue 4 Sep 12
the wall
says...
9:31am Wed 5 Sep 12
batey wrote:Christ on a bike, get over yourself.
have u lot thought about giving up your pathtic comments and perhaps try to grow up?
Invicta58
says...
1:12pm Wed 5 Sep 12
batey wrote:No, and have you ever thought of reversing your humour bypass operation?
have u lot thought about giving up your pathtic comments and perhaps try to grow up?
Southern12
says...
8:50pm Wed 5 Sep 12
The daughter was called to the house (by neighbours) to see if the dog who was in the house was ok.
So NO ONE should call to assist this woman, she clearly wants Compensation for an event that was an accident.
Its not as if the Police planned it and to be fair no one was too concerned about them that night apart from one nice lady who gave water etc to the police men involved.
ModernToss
says...
5:46pm Sat 8 Sep 12
Typical of this day and age that the first thing people see when an accident like this happens is £ signs.
Maybe it has taken mum back to her war days but on the plus side it must be nice to feel young again.
commenting scoffer says...
10:08am Tue 4 Sep 12