Exclusive: HOW BUSHY PARK CAR VANDALS WRECKED MOTHER’S DAY
Student Anthony Cast told today how his plans for a Mother’s Day celebration turned sour after the car he borrowed from his mum was significantly damaged in a ‘key attack’ in the Diana Fountain car park in Bushy Park causing £3000 worth of damage.
Anthony, 28, and his partner Athena Gore had driven to the park in the Mini Cooper on the special day to do a 10k run with friends but were involved in a parking dispute while they waited for a space.
They waited patiently for ten minutes for a car to leave and then reversed swiftly into the space but another driver laid claim to the space and moved into park right behind him blocking part of the entrance to the car park and refused to move.
Anthony’s partner got out of the car to remonstrate but was subjected to a tirade of abuse from the occupants of the car which then refused to shift.
Fortunately, the police arrived at the same time and were alerted to the dispute by two other runner friends of the couple.
According to Anthony, who celebrated his birthday the day before, the female police officer was then accused of ‘racism’ by the owners of other car, who were Chinese, he says.
The police reassured Anthony and Athena that they would deal with the matter and they should carry on with their run and Anthony shrugged off his partner’s suggestion to photograph the number plate of the other car because ‘nothing would happen.”
He added: “We came back to find the car had deep scratch marks all around it. We couldn’t believe it, it had been heavily keyed all around the bodywork.
“We obviously think the damage was done by the people who were angry with us about the parking space but we can’t prove it. We did nothing wrong. We know the police have got the number plate details.
“We are hoping another driver may have some dashcam footage of the incident or this publicity may jog someone’s memory.”
Anthony, a student at Loughborough University, whose family home is in Worcester Park, added: “I then had to go round to my mother’s with a bunch of flowers for Mother’s Day and tell her what had happened to her car – it wasn’t the greatest present but she was understanding.
”I don’t think the flowers made up for it. She can probably claim in insurance but that’s not the point, because the cost will rise It’s just not the sort of thing you expect to happen in somewhere like Bushy Park – the police were brilliant.”
The police have appealed to witnesses to come forward. The incident happened between 11.20am and 12.50pm on Sunday March 30 in the Diana Fountain car park.
If you have witnessed this or have any other information email the police bushypark@met.police.uk quoting reference 01/7323435/25
Last week the police confirmed the axing of the Royal Parks police as part of massive budget cuts.