Warndon councillor moves big bed by herself for vulnerable woman

Cllr Jill Desayrah, who has been compared to a Yorkshire terrier, wrestled with the old mattress in Cranham Court, Warndon, determined to get it into her car boot and away to the tip.

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The Warndon Labour councillor, a vocal critic of 'the blight of fly-tipping' in her ward, said she was absolutely determined to help a vulnerable resident, only recently discharged from hospital, who had struggled to move the big bed by herself.

STEELY: Cllr Jill Desayrah after getting the mattress into her cramped Toyota Yaris (Image: Newsquest)

The councillor showed her grit when she moved the mattress into the boot of her car on Thursday afternoon. When you consider the vehicle is a Totoya Yaris, that is perhaps no mean feat.

From Warndon, the terrier did not tarry, heading straight to the tip on Bilford Road to heave the mattress into the big crusher.

Her prompt and hands-on actions earned her a big thank you from Lorraine Butler of Cranham Court, off Cranham Drive, who has COPD, arthritis and heart problems and had been struggling to move the mattress by herself.

HEAVE-HO!: Jill Desayrah gets the bed to the tip in Bilford Road in Worcester (Image: Newsquest)

Mrs Butler, 64, said: "It makes a change to see somebody like a councillor or an MP helping people who are desperately vulnerable.

"It's nice Jill is doing this for the vulnerable people. I have only just come out of hospital. 

"The doctors are keeping an eye on me in case I have a massive heart attack or a stroke.

"The least I can do is say thank you very much Jill."

But Cllr Desaryah, who works full time as a councillor, told her to think nothing of it and added: "I work for you."

Cllr Desayrah said: "Taking an old mattress to the Bilford Road recycling centre for a resident is not a typical task for any city councillor, but this is a special case. 

"Mrs Bulter is unwell and disabled and approached me because all other options have been explored and exhausted.

"She kept the double mattress clean and dry, propped up behind a sofa in her living room, until it could be dealt with properly and I thank her for this.

"For those who can afford it, the city council offers an excellent bulky waste collection service.

"It is easy to book and regular collections mean no one has to wait too long for their large unwanted items to be removed. But in this continuing cost of living crisis many people simply can't spare the money."