Right place, right time

It was a case of being in the right place at the right time for Stephen Smith and Mark Scarisbrick, when they used their local knowledge to guide an anxious dad to his daughter’s hospital bedside.

The postmen were heading back to Warrington delivery office when Tom McHugh pulled up beside them at traffic lights and asked for directions.

Tom had been at work an hour away in Crewe when he received a call to say his teenage daughter had taken an overdose and been rushed to hospital.

‘He flagged us down and mentioned his phone wasn’t working properly and said, “is there any chance you could help us find where the hospital is?” said Stephen. ‘We told him that he could start following us.'

The pair were able to guide Tom to the hospital before returning to their delivery office.

A few weeks later they found out how much they’d helped after Tom contacted customer services to praise them.

‘I was panicking,’ said Tom. ‘I had no phone coverage as it was the day O2 had a blackout. I was trying to find a sign to point me to the hospital. Then Mark and Stephen stopped at the lights and I shouted across. For them to go out of their way, that made the difference.'

Tom’s daughter made a full recovery and is now receiving further support. Stephen and Mark say they were happy to help.

‘I’ve given hundreds of people directions,’ said Mark. ‘But, this is the first time there’s been a story at the end of it.’