Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News

Elderly couple suffer ‘persecutio­n’ by yobs

- BY OLIVER CLAY oliver.clay@trinitymir­ror.com @OliverClay­RWWN

AN elderly couple have spoken out over their ordeal being ‘persecuted’ by yobs for months after graffiti was daubed on the side of their house accusing someone they don’t know of being a ‘grass’.

James and Jean Thompson, aged 80 and 77, have lived in the house on The Glen in Palacefiel­ds since they moved from Liverpool 40 years ago.

Their peace has now been shattered with three months of bricks and stone being thrown at the house which have resulted in a smashed bathroom window, plus bangs on the front door from passersby.

The disabled couple’s ordeal began after a window was broken and graffiti was daubed on the side wall saying someone was ‘a grass’, but they remain mystified by the graffiti because they do not know the person named.

The wall faces the busy thoroughfa­re Palacefiel­ds Avenue, which is the main road running throughout the whole estate.

They said their landlord Riverside housing associatio­n had assured them that they would speak to the police on their behalf, and have dispatched maintenanc­e contractor­s

Evolve twice to try to clean off the graffiti without success.

Riverside told the Weekly News that it has now spoken to the couple, who have now agreed to have the paint acidwashed from the wall, having previously rejected this method.

James and Jean, who have to contend with a range of health conditions, said they discovered the first attempt when they realised someone was spraying a jet of water at the wall.

In the second effort, they said ‘petrol’ was used in a big to scrub the surface clean resulting in an overpoweri­ng smell and, amid the ongoing campaign of anti-social behaviour, a serious fire risk.

Despite a housing manager assuring them that she ‘is looking into it’, the couple remain under siege in their own home.

The Thompsons said that where graffiti has appeared on other walls around The Glen, it has been painted over.

Their daughter Sue Thompson, 50, and a former world champion pool player, blasted the yobs’ behaviour as ‘disgusting’.

Speaking on Friday, Mr Thompson said: “We’ve been persecuted since August 1, all over our house, we’re getting bricks at windows, banging on the doors.

“It’s graffiti, all over the wall, ‘someone’s a grass’.

“They (housing staff) came out with the jet wash and they’ve been taking the render off and one of the lads said ‘it’s not good’.

“The housing manager rang me about three times but they’re doing nothing. “We’re getting persecuted: people walking past and banging on the window.

“They must think the fella lives here.

“People (neighbours) have been passing stopping saying ‘have you seen your wall?’

“We’re up and down, we’re disabled.”

Asked how it makes them feel, Mrs Thompson said: “Distress all the time.

“We are up and down, we are.

“It’s a nuisance, we had the window broken.”

Sue Thompson said: “They get kids throwing stones.

“They think this (graffiti-shamed person) lives here, they get people knocking on the door.

“We’ve had four or five people come to the door.

“People come round say ‘your walls have been sprayed’. My mum and dad are having to get up all the time.

“They’re disabled. It’s a joke.

“I don’t see why Riverside don’t just get this sorted.

“She says ‘I’m looking into it’.

“This has been going on since August.”

She added: “My dad’s 80 and my mum’s 77 and they’re not very well as it is and they don’t need all this.

“It’s terrible, it’s getting them down and making them ill.”

Riverside has condemned the harassment and is now pressing ahead with the removal of the graffiti, having spoken again with the couple.

Dean Butterwort­h, Riverside’s regional director for the Liverpool City Region, said: “Firstly we strongly condemn whoever is responsibl­e for this offensive graffiti that has caused such distress to a completely innocent elderly couple and those responsibl­e for the mindless vandalism on their home.

“We would also like to apologise to Mr and Mrs Thompson for the difficulti­es and delays they have experience­d in getting the graffiti removed.

“The damage was reported to us on July 22, and our staff were on site on Aug 1 to remove it using a specialist acid solution, which would be followed by jet washing.

“However, worked had to be stopped as the jet wash was damaging the pebble dash on their home.

“We looked at alternativ­e ways to remove the graffiti including painting the gable end, but again the pebble dashing made this unviable.

“Our contractor­s visited on two further occasions to apply the specialist acid solution with a commitment to restore the pebble dashing, but the tenants did not want this work to be carried out.

“After talking to Mr and Mrs Thompson they have now agreed for this method to be carried out and we will quickly repair the rendering afterwards.

“We have reported the graffiti damage to police and would urge anyone with informatio­n about this crime to please contact Crimestopp­ers anonymousl­y on 0800 555 111.”

 ??  ?? Jean and James Thompson, aged 77 and 80, of The Glen, Runcorn
Jean and James Thompson, aged 77 and 80, of The Glen, Runcorn

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