Furore Fönsterputsare Outside Swedish Store

Vanessa Ileva, not a fan of amateur window cleaners

Swedish store 'sorry' for dousing beggar - A Swedish supermarket has issued an apology to a woman who was asking for money outside one of its stores, after a passerby reported that the woman was doused with water by the window-cleaning store manager. A Swedish passer-by witnessed the event and quickly wrote about his shock and outrage on social media. The post soon made the rounds online. The supermarket chain Hemköp on Friday said it had apologized in person to the woman in question. "Hemköp in all ways wants to express regret that Vanessa Ileva was doused with water in connection to the store manager at Stigbergstorget washing the windows without paying due attention," a statement read. 

Head of communications for the entire chain, which has 180 stores across Sweden, told The Local she made sure to have a translator with her so that she and Ileva would be able to communicate as well as possible. "She was very grateful that I was there and that we apologized, but I also wanted to hear how she had experienced the event," Maria Nobel told The Local on Friday. Ileva, 28, who worked in Spain before travelling to Sweden, yelped and started crying after the dousing, drawing attention from nearby florist Lillian Pekkari who walked over to comfort her. But the store manager showed up again, Pekkari told the Metro newspaper. "He came out again with a new bucket of water that he threw at the next window pane just as aggressively," she said.

People demonstrated outside the store.

When news broke of the dousing last week, several hundred people assembled outside the Hemköp store demanding an answer. The store manager was threatened and has since gone on sick leave, Sveriges Radio reported. Spokeswoman Maria Nobel declined to comment on how the furore had affected the store staff. "It's of course been stressful, but out of respect for them I don't want to comment further," she said.

The story hit a raw nerve with Swedes, many of whom have mixed feelings about the surge of people asking for money on street corners. Nobel added no further explanation to the conclusion of the internal review that the store manager had not shown "due consideration", but she said that Hemköp understood why the incident had sparked such attention. "Maybe because it's a hot topic. We understand fully why it caused such commotion," she said. "It was serious what happened and we take it seriously."

Also on Friday, the Metro newspaper reported that an Instagram account had been set up to photograph and register beggars in Stockholm, with the aim to highlight what "politicians don't give a f*** about".  And on Thursday, the Expressen newspaper also reported that a small Ica store in Fornåsa had put up a sign discouraging its shoppers to give money. "Please! Don't give the beggars anything," the post read. Local resident Sanna Käck at first didn't believe the news and headed off to the store to check that the reporter hadn't been fooled by a photo montage. Surely a company wouldn't tell its customers what to do, she thought. "I couldn't believe it when I saw the sign with my own eyes," Käck reported back to Expressen.

Previously, the store manager said he concentrated on the window he was cleaning and that he splashed water on Vanessa on purpose.

Hemköp apologizes to Vanessa: Vanessa Ileva was doused with water when she was sitting & begging outside Hemköp on Stigbergstorget, in Gothenburg has now received a personal apology from the chain store.  Hemköp investigation into the incident is complete and shows that the store manager was negligent when he washed the windows.

According to several eyewitnesses, the store manager poured water on Vanessa and the story of what happened spread quickly in social media. I have personally met her.  I listened to her experience of the event, and we take her experience of discomfort seriously.  Then I asked for apology on behalf of the company, says Maria Nobel, Communications at Hemköp, saying that Vanessa was grateful for the excuse.
The incident occurred last week. How is it that you're sorry now? Because we have made an independent investigation of the incident which is now complete.  The investigation shows that the store manager has been negligent when he washed the windows, and that Vanessa has been soaked by water when he washed the windows, says Maria Nobel.

The store manager was taken out of service since his family was threatened after the event.  Maria Nobel says that now he is on sick leave. It is unclear whether he will work as a store manager at Stigbergstorget in the future. What happens after sick leave is at this stage unclear, says Maria Nobel.
Previously, the store manager said he concentrated on the window he was cleaning and that he splashed water on Vanessa on purpose. If I splash water on another person, I am so terribly sorry, it was definitely not my purpose, he told Metro last week.

Amateur Window Cleaners Raise Their Game

Clean Windows: How to Reach, Wash and Leave Them Spotless (by Nikki Pepper): We've got products you can make at home, tools that won't break your budget and the right way to reach and cleaning those screens. Growing up, if window cleaning was on your chore list, it usually meant swiping at a few windows with some newspaper and glass cleaner. But when you're the grown-up, you see all the different steps involved: Getting to the second floor windows, tackling the screens and using eco-friendly (and wallet-friendly) cleaners. No worries, we'ev got you covered - these videos should answer all your window-cleaning questions.

To see a lambswool and squeegee method for cleaning glass, watch this video.

Having trouble reaching second floor windows and want an inexpensive option? Check out this short clip on how to create your own money-saving tool to reach any window.

If a squeegee is too large to get in between panes of smaller windows, learn how to resize the squeegee (genius!) in a few simple steps.

Now that you have the tools and methods intact, what solution do you use? While there are many products you can buy at the store, you may prefer a homemade option. Check out this clip and pay attention at the 40 second mark for a window-specific recipe.

Now that the glass is shining, it's time to get the window screens just as clean. Here's a video showing a method utilizing a baby pool - yes, a baby pool, in your backyard.

Cops Link Amateur Window Cleaners + Raymonds Last Note

Cops link gang to window cleaners: Police believe gang members are linked to amateur window cleaners offering their services in Christchurch. Police are worried the window cleaners maybe casing properties for burglaries. Inspector Dave Lawry (pictured above) confirmed yesterday that a gang member had turned up to a property when police were called to a house whe the owner became concerned when a window cleaner offered to wash his windows. Police believe the window cleaner and gang member were connected.

Police have become increasingly concerned about the motives of amateur window cleaners in eastern Christchurch, who have been turning up at properties unannounced and offering to wash windows. Inspector Lawry said the public should be very cautious. "Police are aware of this group and will be keeping a close watch on their activities," he said. "They do not appear to be linked to any recognised cleaning company, and seemed to be approaching local properties at random.

"We urge householders to be cautious. There's a strong possibility that these window cleaners are using the business as a ruse to approach houses and establish if they are unoccupied. "Where they do undertake cleaning, they may be using the opportunity to identify items of interest inside or around the property for future burglaries."

The window cleaners were known to have targeted properties in South Brighton in recent weeks. One elderly man paid $25 to have his windows cleaned. Properties in South Brighton had been visited by window cleaners in recent weeks. Inspector Lawry urged householders to be cautious about who they let onto their properties, ask any door-to-door window cleaners for identification, and to report any suspicious approaches to police. The first blog about this story here.

"We have always wondered what triggered him to do it, if he had just had a customer say no that day."

Police failed to tell widow about window cleaning husband's suicide note: A widow spent almost a year wondering why her husband took his own life because police did not tell her about a suicide note. Window cleaner Raymond Curtis, who suffered from depression, was found dead at a lock-up garage in Seagull Road, Strood, in March last year. But it was not until an inquest into his death 10 months later that his wife discovered officers had picked up a hand-written letter from the bonnet of his car.

Heather Curtis was giving evidence at the hearing when coroner Roger Sykes questioned her about the note. She replied: "Note? I knew of no note." She added: "We have always wondered what triggered him to do it, if he had just had a customer say no that day." Mrs Curtis sobbed as she read the note outside the inquest court before the hearing continued. The coroner, who recorded a verdict of suicide, apologised to Mrs Curtis and said the police officer who dealt with the case would be spoken to.

The inquest heard how Mr Curtis, 58, of Darnley Road, Strood, had been diagnosed as clinically depressed three years before he died. He had been unable to work for a short time when he broke his foot and Mrs Curtis said it led him on a downward spiral as he worried about the future. Mrs Curtis went looking for her husband when he did not come home from work on March 2 last year and found him hanging in the garage.

They had three children, Jemimah, 32, Damian, 30, and Barclay, 28, and a one-year-old grandson. Mrs Curtis paid tribute to her husband of 32 years: "We miss him madly. He was a very sensitive, caring person." After the inquest, DCI Andy Pritchard said: "Our officers spoke to Mrs Curtis straight after the incident and spent around 45 minutes with her talking over the possible circumstances of her husband's death, including some details that had been left in the note. "This was a very emotional time for all of those involved, however, if our officers did not directly show the note to Mrs Curtis then we do apologise for any distress that was caused."