By Bill Dewison

I read this morning that the car belonging to Hazel Blears has been attacked whilst she was out campaigning in Salford. All four tyres were slashed and the windshield smashed in the attack.

Hazel has been in touch with local news agencies apparently stating that it hasn’t got anything to do with the expenses scandal and her involvement with it. She states that it is purely anti-social behaviour and it is what the people of Salford have to endure regularly. Is it really, Hazel?

A couple of years ago I was driving down the road where her car was attacked and I heard thumping. I pulled over at the side of the road to discover I had a flat tyre, so as you do, went to fetch the spare. That was also flat. So now I’m in what Hazel describes as an area overrun with anti-social youths and I have no way of escaping. Should I run? Should I hide?

Within minutes local people had come over to see if I needed any help. I explained the situation and before I had a chance to say anything else one of the people was on a mobile phone arranging for my tyre to be fixed. It turned out my tyre was split around the outer wall and, as luck would have it, the local garage had a part-worn tyre. 20 minutes later it was on the wheel and another of the locals was helping me fit it. Total cost to me £20 and a couple of cigarettes shared with the people helping.

Now I could be wrong, but does that sound like an area overrun with anti-social louts who will randomly attack a car? My car was unlocked all the time I was there, and far from being threatening towards me, the local people – young and old – were trying their best to help someone in need. They didn’t need to do it – they could have sat back and watched me struggle.

Hazel needs to understand that at best what has happened to her car is an overspill of anger towards her and at worst it is a threat – and typecasting the people of Salford as random vandals is not going to win her any new friends. It might be time for her to consider leaving the campaign trail and either taking a back seat role at the next election or withdrawing from politics altogether.

Incidentally it is worth noting before anyone else does that she was also parked on double yellow lines.