PI Pensioner in Alsatian Ankle Attack

From the Surrey Comet 20/07/10:

A pensioner hospitalised after being bitten by a police dog during a manhunt used to sell personal injury claims for a living.

It may just be matter of semantics, but how do you sell ‘PI claims’ exactly? Oh well.

Brian Kiddell, 71, who lives in Bramham Gardens off Clayton Road, was watering his patch at the allotments behind Kingston Rugby Club yesterday lunchtime when he was attacked by the Alsatian.

Police helicopters, officers and dogs were searching for two suspects who had crashed their silver BMW in Kelvin Grove and fled onto the allotments.

He said: "I was just resting my hose on a fork.

Now there’s a euphemism if I ever heard one. But I digress.

"I had seen the police officers previously and then there was this loud hailer saying 'there's a police dog on site. Will all police officers stand still'.

He revealed his background was in selling personal injury compensation for a solicitors.

Not, ‘for a solicitors’ eh? Fancy.

Asked whether he would seek compensation, he said: "I think the police will contact me anyway.

"All I'm glad about is it happened this week because I had the Claygate Flower Show on Saturday and I wouldn't have been able to do half the stuff I did."

Mr Kiddell, wthe treasurer of the allotment society, carried off the Queen Elizabeth Ceremonial Cup and the Wilkinson Cup for three vases of sweet peas.

Okay, point taken. Brian Kiddell is a good guy and really didn’t deserve having an Alsatian try and amputate his foot. Note to editor: maybe try easing off on the ‘hard sell’ here.   Also, a proof reader might be a good investment.