The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Doctor on front line has car vandalised
A Dundee doctor at the front line of the city’s battle against coronavirus had his car vandalised while assessing patients.
Dr Alec Watson, who triages people suspected of having Covid-19 over the phone at King’s Cross Hospital, was alerted to damage to his vehicle at around 10.45am yesterday.
He found the front passenger window of his Volvo V40 had been completely smashed, leaving glass strewn across the centre’s car park.
Another car, believed to be the property of a senior nurse at the hospital, was also vandalised at around the same time.
Dr Watson branded the culprit’s actions as “appalling”.
He said: “We are hugely busy at the moment with coronavirus and this is the last thing we need.
“I’m semi-retired but have been working more to help ease the pressure.
“At around 10.45am reception told me the police were there because two cars had been damaged.
“Mine was in the car park, beside the special area that’s cordoned off to examine patients with potential coronavirus.
“The passenger window was completely smashed, although nothing was taken as I don’t keep valuables in the car.
“I was taken out of my busy work for an hour to speak to the police. It’s appalling that someone has done this, especially during this time.”
Dr Watson said he will now have to take a taxi to work while the damage to his car is repaired.
Police arrived at the hospital shortly after 10.30am after receiving multiple reports of vandalism to the vehicles.
One eyewitness described how he saw a man on a bike behaving suspiciously in the area around the time of the incident.
He said: “I saw a man on a bike who was looking pretty shifty.
“I drove up the road up there and then came back and he was gone.
“It looked like he was looking into the cars but I didn’t get a good sight of him unfortunately.
“I don’t think the car parked on the street had been done at that stage but I don’t know about the one in the car park.
“I think it’s awful somebody could do that to hospital workers at a time like this.
“Everyone has enough to deal with and this is the last thing NHS staff need.”
A spokesman for Police Scotland confirmed officers are following a number of lines of investigation.
He said: “Officers were made aware of two vehicles which were broken into in the area around Kings Cross Hospital around 10.20am on Sunday March 22.
“Inquiries are ongoing and officers are following a number of lines of investigation.
“Anyone with information can contact police on 101, quoting incident 0911 of March 22, or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”