Vandalised PC could ‘pop up’ again soon
A cardboard copper is set to feel whole again after his top half, which was snapped off and nicked, was found in a bush next to a busy Perthshire road.
The top part of the ‘Pop-up PC Jim’ was discovered in a bush by a section of the A85 after his top half was snatched by vandals while he was “on holiday” in Almondbank last week.
The to-scale sized traffic officer cut-out has been guarding the busy A85 road coming into Methven from Perth since the start of the summer.
Arranged by parents’ group Child Safety Methven, spearheaded by local parent Sarah Fergusson, the stern speed gun officer has been placed to deter road users from speeding on the heavilytrafficked route.
However, due to Bear Scotland traffic surveys to improve road safety in the village, PC Jim was temporarily transferred to Almondbank at Honeypot Nursery until they were finished.
Sarah explained that Jim, who was funded from the community council and parent council, has proved so popular in Methven the group are now fundraising for an entire cut-out to keep watch over the surrounding roads - with many more officers to follow in Jim’s footsteps.
Sarah said: “The Pop-up Jim came from joint funding and we’ve set up a GoFundMe for a replacement.
“We’ve raised enough to buy a new one, but we’re keeping the campaign going.
“I’m applying for council funding and we’re hoping to get eight or nine more to go around Methven, Almondbank, Pitcairngreen, Tibbermore and Moneydie.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up with a target to replace Jim is just over £222, with the total currently at £365 at the time of publication.
Almond and Earn councillor David Illingworth said: “Since April, Child Safety Methven have worked hard to raise awareness of this issue by conducting a workshop with children at Methven Primary School and Police Scotland, where the children measured driver
The cut-out was introduced to help reduce speeding on the A85 near Methven Primary School speeds and arranging the purchase of a ‘Pop-up Jim’ silhouette of a policeman with a speed camera.
“The group leader, Sarah Fergusson, has been making great progress in persuading Transport Scotland to implement changes to implement road changes to the A85 in Methven.
“We have also been working with Police Scotland to set up Community Speedwatch in the Methven Area, where we plan to use to use the latest radar technology to measure driver speeds and report speeders to the authorities.”
“Our ‘Jim’ has been a very popular and effective reminder to drivers to slow down when entering Methven. Jim’s upper body was snapped off and nicked in Almondbank
“To allow Bear Scotland to conduct speeding surveys in Methven, ‘Jim’ was sent on his holidays to Almondbank and this was where he was murdered by vandals who broke him in half.
“Having worked really hard to bring Pop-Up Jim to life and seen how popular he had become, it is extremely frustrating for us to suffer this setback.
“However, we are determined he will return either in the same form or in a slightly different form as “son (or daughter) of Jim”.
To donate to the GoFundMe see www.gofundme.com/f/ methven-child-safety-and-speedreduction-group