Solicitor castigated over car / roof / children / canoe incident

A solicitor has been splashed over the Sunday Express after giving some kids a ride on his car roof. Very slowly. At Bible camp.

Mark Harvey, a solicitor in Bordon, Hampshire, and a deputy district judge, was at a holiday Bible class in nearby St Peter's International Presbyterian Church. He had a canoe strapped to his the roof of his car, and the local pastor suggested that some of the kids might like a ride in it. All the parents consented and Harvey, a church elder, drove the very excited children at a snail's pace round a private road.

Unfortunately for Harvey his route took him past the home of "retired retail executive" Richard Pearcey, who caught the escapade on CCTV. Pearcey's wife, being a ~~miserable curtain twitcher~~ responsible member of the local community, immediately reported Harvey to the police. Who investigated. And did precisely nothing.

Ban this sick filth!

Mrs Pearcey told the Sunday Express "I felt the children could have fallen and been injured, and I felt it was a police matter". Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (and who possibly needs to get out a bit more), claimed that it was "an extremely stupid and dangerous thing to do".

Harvey said he was driving very slowly, there was no traffic around, the children were never in any danger and it was just a bit of fun.

Tip Off ROF

Comments

In this supposed modern H&S culture its easy to forget there is such a thing as fun. Ok, not as safe as strapping them into seats with seat belts but he clearly wasn't putting the kids in any danger and I bet they loved it

Mrs Pearcey will do well to remember that she probably also did stupid things as a child, and oh, she survived. Anyway, I do more dangerous things on my commute.

Looks like he was driving pretty fast from the video. Not safe at all. Would be a very different tone if one of the children fell out.

I'm shocked at this especially the recent news highlighting children's safety and the amount of parents that struggle to install child seats correctly. Let alone children sitting in a canoe unsecured and driving on a public highway. This is a Judge that presumably gets involved with Health and Safety matters. Yes children can have fun but when there is potential for injury or even death if an accident had occurred.

Humourless bore sale ^

For the person who has a dangerous commute!! maybe you should be more careful while driving. Stop checking emails or talking on your phone and actually concentrate on the hazards around you...

I've watched the clip and it appears that he was driving remarkably slowly. It looks about as dangerous as riding a bicycle. I cannot see what all the fuss is about. Presumably some of the H&S crowd would rather children did not ride bicycles either.

I'd happily risk a comically grizzly death; falling from a canoe perched on top of a car - to escape bible camp 'holiday'.

If you slow the clip down enough, you can just make out anonymous user @ 12:07 hiding in the bushes with their P.I firm's complimentary pen and notepad set...

So the canoe was strapped down (seemingly from the video on the Express website), they were on a private road and the guy was driving slowly and this somehow makes him some sort of reckless idiot? People seriously need to lighten up and get out more. Yikes...

Some comments suggest this is as dangerous as riding a bike but kids wear helmets when cycling and would have far less distance to fall from a bike. Falling from a moving vehicle with no helmet could cause serious injury.

The canoe was on top of a car attached by two ropes, had four unsecured small children in it and went on a public road (@anonymous user 11:58 28/06/2014). The children visibly try to stand up. Would you want someone to do this with your children. I think not.

Oi, 13.34 and 16.45, I am part of the "H&S crowd" and work in PI and even I can see that this was harmless. And yes, 12.49, I would and they have (though with bikes rather than a canoe)