‘Woke’ council launches probe after man writes ‘Stop the Boats’ on mother’s cast

A doctor lodged a complaint to the local council after a man wrote “Stop The Boats!” on his own mum’s cast. Trevor Lazell, a full-time carer for his mother, Shirley, faced a safeguarding probe despite the 89-year-old agreeing with the message.

Staff from Southend Council called before visiting the 54-year-old financial adviser’s Essex home on Thursday (November 13). They told him that a doctor had seen the message on the cast and that it was a “safeguarding issue”. The council asked Trevor to remove the message, but he refused, explaining: “I feel that my rights under the freedom of speech in the UK are under attack.”

As reported by The Sun, he said: “I was furious when I got the call and found it absolutely ridiculous. I feel like they were accusing me of being a racist, but I was making a point about the boats crisis.”

He added: “This was two weeks ago when we took mum in for a routine follow-up and X-ray after she broke her leg in September. None of the staff said anything at the time, and frankly, they should not be wasting their time on this.

“What is written on the cast has nothing to do with them. It is stupid and woke, and a complete waste of taxpayers’ money.”

The ‘Stop The Boats’ slogan was adopted by Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister in January 2023. It referred to his Conservative government’s efforts to curb the number of people crossing the English Channel illegally.

According to Trevor, the council were “worried in case anyone saw the message” when his mother was outside. However, Shirley, who is retired, is bed-bound and has barely left their home in the last 18 months.

Trevor said he wrote the slogan after he and his mother watched a report that revealed 1,072 migrants had crossed the Channel on September 19. He explained how she “went along” with him, writing it on the cast, and added: “My mother is allowed to have anything she wants written on her.”

Southend-on-Sea City Council said: “The council has a duty to respond when concerns are raised by partners or the public. We have a responsibility to investigate those concerns to ensure people are safe and well.

“It would be inappropriate to comment on individual cases or discuss a person’s care.”

A spokesman for Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust said: “A welfare concern was raised by the hospital, but we can’t comment on individual patient circumstances.”