Victims of car crime... while being treated in hospital
A STRING of patient and staff cars have been broken into at a Welsh hospital.
Police are investigating after eight vehicles had their windows smashed and items from inside taken at the Prince of Charles Hospital in Merthyr.
On Wednesday night Mountain Ash engineer Gareth Davies’ wife’s car was damaged while her 19-year-old daughter was staying overnight.
Mr Davies, 53, said: “My wife is a nurse and she works at another site.
“But on the night it happened her daughter was very unwell so she was staying overnight at the Prince Charles.
“She is suffering from sepsis so to have that phone call at four in the morning saying the car window was smashed – on top of your daughter being unwell you also have to cope with all this.
“My wife hadn’t slept anyway let alone trying to sort the insurancae.”
After driving to the hospital Mr Davies said he was shown a number of other damaged cars by staff finishing their shift.
He said: “I spoke to three nurses at the time and they showed me their cars. It’s terrible, I saw another three or four cars with exactly the same broken window.
“The NHS do much a brilliant job and to have this done by members of the public who probably have been treated by nurses themselves – it amazes me.
“Everyone I speak to about it is astounded.”
A police investigation has now been launch with police examining CCTV footage from the site.
Mr Davies said: “I did have my grandson’s tablet sat in the back but that was left so I don’t know what happened.”
A spokesman for South Wales Police said: “Police can confirm that a number of vehicles were damaged and broken into on Wednesday night.
“They were parked in the car park at Prince Charles hospital.
“Personal items such as clothes and money were stolen by thieves who smashed windows.
“An investigation is underway to identify who was responsible. Officers are maintaining a visible presence in the car park and are looking at CCTV.
“Motorists are also urged not to leave valuables on show inside their vehicles.”
Kath McGrath, Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Cwm Taf University Health Board said: “We can confirm that eight vehicles were vandalised in the car park at Prince Charles Hospital in the early hours of Thursday morning.
“South Wales Police have been informed and we will continue to work with them during their investigations.”
Anybody who has information is urged to call police via 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 giving reference 194503.