Derek is handed mowing reprieve
Saturday 21st August 2010, 11:30AM BST.
A veteran soldier who was banned from mowing overgrown lawns at Cannock Cemetery because of health and safety regulations has been handed a reprieve so he can carry on cutting.
Derek Evans, aged 67, has been cutting the grass where his mother is buried at the cemetery for more than a year – even investing in a £300 lawnmower to help keep on top of the work.
But Cannock Chase Council officials put a stop to the good Samaritan’s graft, saying he must hold public liability insurance to carry on with his mowing on council land.
Now insurance firm Zurich has now offered to provide free public liability insurance for Mr Evans after holding talks with him and Cannock Chase Council.
Mr Evans, of Pye Green, near Hednesford, who served with British Forces in West Berlin during the 1960s, lives on an Army pension after his hearing was damaged on active duty.
“I don’t like to boast, but on the day I won the battle,” he said.
Business Awards
Book a Business Awards table
Join our celebrations of the region's best in business on Thursday March 22 - book your table now
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Express & Star and Shropshire Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases
OUR NEW APP
Get the new E&S app
Download the Express & Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
expressandstar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
Fantastic!
Good for you sir, and thanks to zurich Insurance. x
Report abuse
Well done Mr. Evans! England needs more public minded people like you. This whole disgusting situation still puts Cannock Chase council in a very poor light, they should be ashamed of their dreadful behavior. Congratulations and thanks should also go to the insurance company involved.
Report abuse
Great stuff, well done Zurich.
Report abuse
Nice one! Ridiculous decision in the first place, absolute madeness. Thank you Zurich.
Report abuse
if people wernt so quick to put a claim in for accidents maybe the council would not be put in this position
Report abuse
This is the kind of story that makes our blood boil in The Campaign Against Political Correctness
Well done Mr Evans for standing your ground !
If Mr Evans or anyone who has been inspired by his story wants to join us in fighting back against this PC/Health and Safety nonsense please contact me
milroy666@aol.com
Cheers
Bill
Report abuse
No wonder the councils have no cash, when this man is saving them a fortune and they try and stop him. They shouldnt have tried to stop him, give him an award for public duty more like. Well done Derek.
Report abuse
Good for him I say!
I have mowed the grass verge outside my house for 25 years as the south staffs appointed contractors do such a crap job! I expect they could “do me” for no insurance, then probably my mower may need tax and an MOT plus insurance. Then of course we have the public liability and of course the mower’s roller being steel is “bald” so an endorsement and points on my licence for bad tyres…no lights…more licence points…ahhh!! Number plates, winkers and brakelights…I must be close to a custodial offence now?
Perhaps I should just stop mowing and make some nuisance calls to the council to get the verge mowed correctly…just like Derek must have felt with his mothers grave!
Bloody governments and the politically correct!
Have a good evening all…
Moriarty the Mundane…and ridiculous!
Report abuse
The French and other less constrained nations must be laughing at our nanny state.
As well as being mollycoddling criminals and giving them better rights than our old people, we are also taxed to the hilt and led around like sheep by “those who know best!”.
Vive la revolution.
Report abuse