Latest news with #Torquay
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
You can't park there, mate! Facebook page tries to humiliate driver for parking his £160K Lamborghini in a disabled spot... but motorist has the ultimate clapback
A man accused of parking his luxury supercar in a disabled parking bay has defended himself with the ultimate 'clapback'. A Facebook page that regularly shares local news and updates in the Torquay area of Devon posted an image of a grey Lamborghini wonkily parked in what appeared to be a Blue Badge designated spot. In the background people could be seen walking around the car park, meanwhile various other cars were parked in allotted bays. Accompanying the photo was a caption that accused the motorist of 'depriving a disabled person of a space' with many adding to the backlash, including one person who claimed the driver didn't have the 'right to take other people's spaces'. 'Have Lamborghini so will park however and wherever I like, even if that means depriving a disabled person of a space' read the full caption. 'Just cause you own a car like that doesn't give you the right to take other people's spaces' exclaimed one person. 'We all pay for parking, whoever it is thinks he's above everyone else' they added. However a multitude of users empathised with the motorist, and pointed out that 'not all disabilities are visible'. 'Disabled people can drive lambos too' stated another. Elsewhere one user debated whether the parking bay could be used by families and said 'they [the motorist] might have their child with them'. Well an updated post certainly proved the 'haters' wrong as it showed an unknown man with a visible disability laying across the floor in front of the luxury sportscar. Tagged with the words 'a picture for all my fans', the image revealed the local to be a double amputee who had both his legs below the knee replaced with prosthetic limbs. In one hand the man displayed a document resembling a Blue Badge - the ultimate 'clapback' to the first post which suggested he wasn't within his rights to park there. A Blue Badge is a parking permit that lets disabled drivers and passengers park in designated disabled spaces. One commenter said the picture was the 'top five of all time'. 'I love this pic'. They wrote. 'I did ask if there was a blue badge. Almost didn't post but I'm kind of glad I did because this is a cracking pic, got to be top 5 of all time'. 'Absolute hero' commented another. 'Keep enjoying your car and winding up the self appointed parking police. People really do need to get a life'. Relating to the situation, one woman wrote: 'Love it. The amount of looks I get when I get out of my Sportage is unbelievable, with my blue badge... But I've gone past caring, especially now I've had a triple heart bypass'. 'You sir are a hero! People are too quick to judge these days' said another. Someone else wrote: 'Absolutely brilliant. Good on you for clapping back'. One person joked: 'Clearly just had his leg taken off just to get easy parking'. 'This made the news, and proven all the haters wrong, legendary' chimed another person. Meanwhile many users claimed they would use bays allocated for Blue Badge display holders whether they had a disability or not. While a multitude of users empathised with the motorist, others initially added to the backlash, including one person who claimed the driver didn't have the 'right to take other people's spaces' Blue Badge parking permits disabled drivers and passengers to park in designated disabled spaces. You automatically qualify for a blue badge if you are blind, receive a war pensioner's mobility supplement or the higher rate of the mobility component of the disability living allowance. All other applications are considered by local authorities on a case-by-case basis. One such reason that you have to qualify is if you have a permanent and severe disability which means you cannot walk or can only walk with severe difficulty. Generally children under the age of two are not eligible for a blue badge, as they are expected to use a pushchair at that age. But children over two may qualify for a blue badge if they have severe mobility problems. Certain children under the age of three may be eligible if they have a disability due to a medical condition and need to travel with bulky equipment, or be close to a vehicle for emergency medical treatment. Family members are allowed to use the blue badge as long as they are present with the disabled relative; using it without them present can result in a criminal conviction and a fine of more than £1,000. The laws for Blue Badge holders recently changed to include those with more hidden disabilities or disorders such as dementia, autism, stress, mental health disorders and anxiety.
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Dreyer signs new Torquay United contract
Torquay United centre-back Sam Dreyer has signed a new contract with the National League South 22-year-old, who was named in the league's Team of the Season, has agreed a two-year who also became vice-captain during his first season at the club, played 41 league games last season."This is great news for the club," Torquay manager Paul Wotton told the club website."Sam is an exciting young talent and will go far in football - hopefully with Torquay - and we're pleased he has committed to us for the medium term."
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Overseas carers in South West afraid over immigration overhaul
Overseas people working in adult social care have said they are "afraid" about proposed changes aimed at making it harder for international workers to remain in the carers gain the right to live and work here indefinitely if they have been working in the country on a sponsored visa for five years.A new UK government white paper proposes increasing that to 10 years to reduce reliance on international workers and boost the recruitment and retention of homegrown Aryaratne, a migrant worker from Sri Lanka who moved to Dawlish in Devon with his family to work in domiciliary care in March 2023 said: "I'm stressed. I'm thinking about it all the time." Mr Aryaratne, 42, is on a care sponsorship visa - a type of skilled worker visa that allows overseas nationals to work in UK adult social care roles under a licensed said: "We have fully integrated into society, my wife works, I work, we pay taxes, my kids have made new friends. It's an anxious time for us."We are the front line of domiciliary care. This will affect everyone across the board." There were 27,174 health and care worker visas granted in the UK to main applicants in 2024, an 81% decrease compared to the previous year according to Home Office Jose, 37, moved to Torquay from India almost three years ago and said she is also worried. She said: "This country is giving us the opportunity to bring our families and we can get a good education for our kids. This news is very sad. "If we are not allowed to stay, we will have no option than to go back. We hope they will change the rules." Her colleague Soumya Sebastian, 42, is also originally from India, and worked in Israel for nine years before deciding to come to the UK because she was able to bring her family here."We are very afraid of our future. We left our job there to come here, for our family and our future", she pair work at Sefton Hall care home in home's manager, Gabriela Ogreanu, said: "They have such high respect for the elderly. They are family oriented, they are part of the community, their contribution is massive. "We try to recruit locally from Dawlish but we barely have one or two applicants to do the job. The government says we have to recruit locally, but who wants to do the job?"Ms Orgreanu added she has a high number of staff who are anxious because of the said: "You open the borders, you allow these people to come in. You allow them to bring their families, to rent, to integrate into the community. "But then you suddenly decide that actually its too many of them and can we send some home. It's wrong." Naeem Ahmad runs Eschol House Nursing home in Portscatho, Cornwall and employs seven international said he feels the signalling that's coming from central government around migration is "wholly negative" and is "not good for morale" in his team. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said:"We recognise the scale of reform needed to make adult social care attractive as a career: we want it to be regarded as a profession, and for the people who work in care to be respected as professionals."That is why we are introducing a new Fair Pay Agreement and implementing the first universal career structure, giving care workers better pay, conditions, and new opportunities to progress in their career." 'Revolving door' Katrina Hall founded the Bay Care Group in said: " We have 156 international workers. If we lose that workforce, it will cut 40 percent of our provision."We cannot get a British workforce here. We spent around £100,000 a year in advertising for British workers. "All we got were people on benefits who came to have an interview in order to continue to receive benefits. We've literally become a revolving door for people looking to continue claiming their benefits." Irena Cox is one of Bay Care's clients is Irena Cox who has carers visit her home in Torbay five times a said: "They've been good enough to come over and work here. It means a lot, especially when you are vulnerable. I can't walk very far, I can't stand up very long. "They are brilliant."The Home Office estimated the new policies could lead to a 100,000 drop in immigration per year by Secretary Yvette Cooper said it is "time to end that care worker recruitment from abroad" and rules will change this year - instead requiring firms to hire British nationals or extend visas of overseas workers already in the governments have tried unsuccessfully to reduce net migration, which is the number of people coming to the UK minus the number migration climbed to a record 906,000 in June 2023, and last year it stood at 728, Minister Keir Starmer argued the proposals bring the immigration system "back into control", and said the new plans, which tackle legal migration to the UK, would ensure a "selective" and "fair" system, where "we decide who comes to this country".
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Torquay United sign free-agent striker Dennis
Torquay United have signed forward Louis Dennis on a two-year 32-year-old joins the Gulls after leaving League Two side experienced former Leyton Orient and Portsmouth forward played almost 200 games for Bromley over two spells and helped them win promotion to the EFL last year. This season he scored two goals in 20 appearances for the League Two is the second new signing for the Gulls after they brought in midfielder Munashe Sundire after he was released by will hope Dennis can help them bounce back from losing in the National League South play-off semi-finals.
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Man, 51, charged after body found in Devon flat
A man has been charged with preventing the lawful burial of a woman after a body was discovered in a Devon flat, police have Stevens, 51, from Reddenhill Road, Torquay, was charged of preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body in Torquay between 21 May 2022 and 28 May 2025, said Devon and Cornwall was also charged with committing an act or series of acts with intent to pervert the course of justice between 10 April 2025 and 28 May 2025, the force said they launched an investigation after a missing person's report was received last month. The force said officers went to a flat on Upton Road on 27 May where the body of a local woman in her 30s was said formal identification was yet to be completed, within inquiries continuing to inform the woman's next of kin.A forensic post-mortem examination was due to take place later this week and the death was currently being treated as unexplained, said said police would remain at the scene over coming Stevens appeared in Plymouth Magistrates' Court earlier.
