Council ‘making efforts’ to track down man who abused RAF teams handing out Covid tests
Efforts are being made to track down the man who appeared in a viral video harassing RAF servicemen handing out coronavirus tests, it has been revealed.
Last week, a video emerged showing a man on Station Road, Handsworth, in Birmingham, repeatedly harassing RAF servicemen who were going door-to-door asking residents if they wanted a free coronavirus test.
Around 100 military personnel have been drafted in to support Birmingham City Council’s efforts to curb the rising coronavirus rates.
The man can be heard saying: “I think it is absolutely disgusting. Is this what this country has come to now? It’s absolutely disgraceful, knocking on people's doors to ask if they want to be tested.
“There’s nothing wrong with people. If they did want to be tested, they could go to one of these centres if they want that. This is intimidation you know that? Absolute tyranny.”
More Covid-19 coverage:
Several Birmingham councillors spoke out against the man after the video emerged, with Birmingham City Council's cabinet member Paulette Hamilton saying she was ‘saddened’ by the behaviour of some in her ward.
And today the local leaders of both Labour and the Conservatives condemned the incident, with council leader Ian Ward revealing that he had recorded a personal message to the armed forces thanking them for their assistance.
He said: “On the issue of the harassment of armed forces last week, I’ve been very very clear that the one individual who posted the video on social media is to be condemned for what he was doing.
“We are making efforts to find out who that individual is, and we also wrote to the armed forces thanking them for their efforts in the city of Birmingham with the drop and collect testing kits that we are doing.
“And I also did a video that was shown to all of the armed forces that are helping us here in Birmingham to thank them, and to encourage them to continue to help us in Birmingham despite this one individual.
“And that one individual of course is in no way representative of the city of Birmingham, where the overwhelming majority of people are grateful for the work that the council has been doing and are grateful that the armed forces have been here to help us.”
Councillor Ward was responding to comments made by Conservative group leader Councillor Robert Alden, who suggested a joint letter from all three party leaders thanking the armed forces for their assistance.
“I hope you will join me in condemning those people who have been harassing the RAF volunteers,” Councillor Alden said.
“There’s been some videos circulating online, these people are helping the council at the council’s request with the drop and collect system, and it’s just totally unacceptable for anyone to be harassing them.
“And I would also like to praise those RAF men and women for how they handled it, and perhaps suggest that we all ought to write jointly as the three leaders of the political parties thanking them for the way their staff are handling themselves while out in our city."
