Cleaner in horror fall landed with a ticket

By GEMMA FRASER
A VAN belonging to a window cleaner who was seriously injured after falling 20ft from his ladder was hit with a parking ticket – despite displaying a note explaining what had happened.
Enforcers slapped the ticket on Raymond Hamilton's Renault Kangoo less than an hour after he had been rushed to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Mr Hamilton, who is in his 60s, fell yesterday morning while cleaning a first-floor window of a tenement block on Dalkeith Road. It is understood both his ankles were broken in the accident.

The city council said its parking attendants had no way of knowing what had happened to Mr Hamilton and said officials would be "happy" to cancel the ticket if someone contacted the authority on the window cleaner's behalf.

But a witness to the accident who placed a note on Mr Hamilton's van said it should not have happened in the first place.

Mr Hamilton's wife Marion, meanwhile, believes the accident will put an end to her husband's window-cleaning career, which he began decades ago.

She also thought he might have to undergo an operation, but did not yet know the full extent of his injuries. She was told about the fall by her son, who works in the operating theatre at the ERI. He only discovered his father was injured when he was rushed into hospital.

Mrs Hamilton, from Oxgangs, said: "It was a terrible shock when my son phoned me, and I imagine he must have got a shock too. He's been cleaning windows since he was a lad and this is the first time he's had a right bad fall.

"I told him that he should be stopping because we are both pensioners and it is a dangerous job, but he doesn't like letting customers down. I think it's time he stopped now and after what has happened I can't see him ever cleaning windows again."

The man who placed the note on the van, who is one of Mr Hamilton's customers, is furious that the parking attendant chose to ignore it. He said he phoned the city council to
explain the situation, but was told that launching an appeal against the ticket was the only option.

He added: "The ticket was stuck on about ten minutes after his time ran out (on the parking meter]. Whoever issued it had taken my note off the windscreen to have a look at it, and then put it back. When I phoned the council they said he would have to appeal the ticket. It's outrageous. "

Phil Wheeler, the city's transport leader, added: "This was a terrible accident and I hope that Mr Hamilton has a speedy recovery. However, parking attendants have no way of knowing the circumstances in these situations and are told to disregard handwritten notes placed on vehicles.

"Drivers are welcome to appeal and if they can show proof of a medical emergency, then we will cancel their ticket. If someone contacts the council on Mr Hamilton's behalf, then we will be happy to cancel this one."