Tesco lorry driver knocks over bollard in Worcester High Street

The incident involved a Tesco lorry in Worcester High Street outside the M&S store on the same day as a public play drew thousands of people to the city centre.

HONOUR: Tom Wisniewski with 100 year old Polish war veteran Lt Edmund Szymczak (Image: Supplied by Tom Wisniewski)

Tom Wisniewski was playing a disciple in the Passion Play in Cathedral Square when he saw the incident on Good Friday at around 8.20am.

The 43-year-old was already concerned about the decision not to close the main road during the play which drew in crowds of more than 2,000.

READ MORE: Passion Play safety concerns after road closure permission denied 

READ MORE: Tesco Express is coming to Worcester High Street 

He walked city centre streets for two and a half hours before the performance to make sure there were no security risks, including to dignitaries such as the Bishop of Worcester who played one of those crucified.

He said he was also thinking of the death of Sylvia Russell, aged 69, in September 2014 after she was hit by a lorry in The Shambles.

Mr Wisniewski organised the first Polish Heritage Day in Worcester in May 2019, one of the first major public events at Cathedral Plaza.

He said: "I went earlier, because I wanted to use my experience and check if the place where we organise the event (the Passion Play in Cathedral Square) is safe, if there are any threats, explosives, etc.

"The city refused to close the street to the organisers of the event and that's why I was afraid that there would be risk and danger associated with it, such as hitting a pedestrian, the risk of a terrorist attack, driving a car into a crowd gathered on the Cathedral Square, etc.

"I know I was probably one of the few volunteers who cared (most people were focused on their role in the Passion Play), but I always care about others and safety. We all have a family and future plans so safety and people's health comes first. Moreover, the city's reputation would suffer if there was an incident of some sort."

Mr Wisniewski, standing as a Conservative candidate to become a councillor for St Stephen Ward in the Worcester City Council elections in May, said the impact happened at a slow speed. He described the Tesco driver as 'relaxed' and said he simply reversed after driving into the bollard which was left bent over.

"I was surprised (by his reaction)", said Mr Wisniewski.

A Tesco spokesperson said: “We were sorry to hear about this. Our drivers take great care when driving and delivering to our stores but occasionally accidents do happen.”

A spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council said: “We are aware of the damage and we will be arranging for the bollard to be replaced. We will examine the evidence supplied to us and will be contacting the owner of the vehicle with a view to recovering the cost of the damage caused.”

They said the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) discussed the possibility of a road closure for the Passion Play but agreed that the staging for the play would be changed this year so that the audience in Cathedral Square will be facing the road, with any overflow using the High Street.

"This way, the event can take place safely with minimal impact upon traffic in the city", a spokesperson said at the time.