Take Samaritan's wheelchairs away!

Villagers are angry with Wychavon District Council and the cleaning firm Mighty Cleaners who have put an end to their good deeds.

It was Jim Burbridge, the toilet attendant in Broadway, who first identified the need for wheelchairs, and the chairman of Broadway Parish Council, Peter Riley who provided them.

Now Mr Burbridge has been told they must go. Mr Riley, who has a disabled daughter himself and raises funds for Mencap, said: "As soon as I heard people needed them I managed to locate two, and after a bit of maintenance I made them available for disabled shoppers to use, and Jim stored them in his work area.

"I have also advertised them around the village but I have had to remove them.

"I thought Wychavon was a caring council, but this does not now seem to be the case." Wychavon have said we need to be insured and I said the parish council or the traders association might very well sort that problem out, but they didn't want to know.

Head of Client Services for Wychavon, Sharon Caswell said: "The company Mighty Cleaners manage the toilets for us. The company said there was not enough room to store the wheelchairs at that location. I am sure there are other more suitable places to store them."

Managing director of Mighty Cleaners, John Saunders explained that it was two Wychavon officers who inspected the block and said they must go.

He added: "We are employed as a contractor to provide cleaning services, that's where our liability ends. We do not own the toilet block and we do not own the wheelchairs."

Manager of Broadway's tourism centre, Dottie Friedli said: "I think it's a pity that an initiative like this which benefits everybody should be spiked because of petty nonsenses. The public are suppose to be more aware of and more understanding of disability.

I cannot understand why there cannot be more goodwill on the part of those in authority."