Essex Police post photos of officers delivering food parcel to war veteran after probing Covid rules

A police force has posted photos of officers delivering a food parcel to a war veteran after they first went round to investigate a Covid-19 rules complaint.

PC Noone and PC Hammond from Essex Police were tipped off about a potential breach of restrictions on Remembrance Sunday.

But they were left red faced when they found the serviceman sitting in a bare house and suffering from Parkinson’s and PTSD.

The pensioner, who served in the armed forces for 18 years, had his bank account closed the day before after scammers ‘took advantage of his kind nature’.

His cupboards were empty and he was using the hob rings on his cooker to keep warm at the house in Colchester.

PC Noone and PC Hammond from Essex Police were tipped off about a potential breach of restrictions on Remembrance Sunday

PC Noone and PC Hammond quickly changed tact and referred the man to support agencies.

They also picked up food and supplies for the veteran and surprised him with a visit later that night.

Essex Police wrote on Facebook yesterday: ‘What they found was totally unexpected.

‘The caring officers spoke to him for some time and discovered he had no food or drink in the fridge or cupboards, and only had a plate of sausage and mash leftovers that had been made for him the day before.

The officers were left red faced when they found the serviceman sitting in a bare house and suffering from Parkinson’s and PTSD. PC Noone and PC Hammond quickly changed tact and referred the man to support agencies

‘Whilst waiting for social services to assess the male, PC Noone, with the assistance of PC Mond (also from CPT) attended the Cafe on the Rec, who provide food and supplies to vulnerable persons and families, and they kindly donated a number of food items to make up a food parcel for the war veteran.

‘Later that evening, PC Noone and PC Gammans, delivered the food parcel to the delighted and very surprised male.

‘PC Noone was saddened to see the war veteran had switched on all the rings on his cooker hob, in an attempt to warm his flat, due to his gas supply being switched off.

‘However PC said the look on his face when he saw some jacket potatoes and a cooked chicken being delivered will stay with him forever.’

They added that the pensioner’s support referral was picked up the following day by social services and the bank fraud is being investigated.