Neighbours 'take revenge' on woman who forgot to move car for coronation street party
A woman accused of "ruining" a coronation party by forgetting to move her car has hit back at neighbours who covered it in bunting and accused her of "not respecting" King Charles.
After a sleepless night with her young child, Aleksandra Kieloch forgot to move her car ahead of a street party on Sunday in her home town of Lytham St Annes, Lancashire.
She and her partner went away for the weekend but were shocked to see photos of their car covered in Union flag memorabilia, and even one picture with a local police community support officer (PCSO) grinning next to it.
Neighbours even took revenge on Kieloch by smothering the car in bunting and placing a traffic cone on top.
She says letters from residents "banning" cars from her road on Sunday slipped her mind.
Angry neighbours contacted the 42-year-old and partner Matt Naylor on Saturday night and branded them "inconsiderate" when they were told the vehicle could not be moved in time.
The following day neighbours sent a photo of the Nissan Micra with a traffic cone on its roof, bunting wrapped around it and a cardboard cutout of King Charles stood next to it, to the couple.
Other images posted to social media show a Lancashire Police PCSO posing in front of the decorated vehicle while another has a "road closed" sign in front of its bonnet.
Kieloch said she was "annoyed" and "upset" by the "silly" stunt, and insists she only forgot to move the car because of a sleepless night with her one-year-old.
Naylor said he found it "hilarious" that residents claimed she'd "ruined" the party by leaving her car on the street.
The IT company owner posted an image of the car on a 46,000-follower-strong Facebook page he runs, and his angry neighbours' actions have split opinion.
Some described them as "pathetic" while others said Kieloch "got off lightly" and should "respect the community's celebrations".
Kieloch, originally from Czestochowa, Poland, said: "I was upset at first. I thought it was a bit silly. I was annoyed because they didn't need to do that. I'd had a bad night with the baby and I forgot."
The mum-of-two left the family home on Thursday to join Matt in Torquay, Devon, where he'd been working away that week.
They returned home on Monday to find the decorations and traffic cone had been removed from the car.
Naylor, 41, claims the stunt "backfired" given the number of comments slamming his neighbours' actions.
He said: "We apologised but they said it was ruining the party. It's a mile-long street. I found it hilarious.
"One of the neighbours messaged on Saturday and we realised there was nothing we could do. Then on Sunday morning people were telling us we were inconsiderate.
"Aleksandra was worried she'd upset them but time's a great healer and it all became light-hearted.
"In the end the majority of the neighbours took it well but there were some sour faces about it. They told me they were going to post it on social media so I said I'd beat them to it and put it on mine.
"They were all up in arms about it but it backfired on them royally."
Naylor's post has so far gained more than 1,300 likes and more than 800 comments.
It read: "[Our] coronation street party almost ruined after car left in street by an absent-minded resident who went on an unexpected trip. The rule was 'all cars must be off the street by Sunday', however the residents of [our] Street decided to make the most of the situation to decorate the resident's car in coronation merchandise."
One response said: "What right has anyone got to insist that we all join in and then to touch someone else's property?"
Another replied: "As a community we can all come together by sometimes celebrating differently. Respect the fact that the community is celebrating. Thanks."
And another member wrote: "How pathetic. I know who is more in the wrong. If the car is taxed they have every right to park there."