A grieving granddaughter has slammed a “Covidiot” who has plastered anti-lockdown messages over his car and driven around the borough.

Emerald Ivory was walking past Sittingbourne library earlier this month when she spotted the Mazda parked outside plastered with stickers.

Messages on the car read “say no to lockdown”, “say no to masks” and “the greatest trick the government ever pulled”.

Emerald, who lives in the town, has lost her grandfather, as well as having her nan seriously ill due to the virus. She was prevented from seeing them because of Covid restrictions.

She fumed: “My immediate response was a mix of annoyance and disgust, given I have lost family and friends to this pandemic and thousands of others have too.

“In January I lost my grandad and hadn’t been able to see him in more than a year as it was too dangerous to visit him. I’d give anything to have been able to see him and give him a hug before he passed.

“It’s so frustrating to see people trying to spread misinformation about something so serious as it really can endanger lives during a situation that too many aren’t taking seriously.

“I saw the driver of the car walk past with a cigarette in his mouth which I thought was ironic as he was complaining about masks making it hard for him to breathe while he fills his lungs with toxins.”

Unemployed Emerald worries that the driver isn’t alone in his beliefs and it will lead to another wave of coronavirus cases.

The 22-year-old added: “It terrifies me. People like him are the reason we keep having to go into lockdown after being let up and I fear that when things are eased we will get a third surge of cases.”

The car’s owner, from Leysdown on the Isle of Sheppey, has been approached for comment.

Last year a rogue barber defied lockdown regulations by refusing to close his shop in November.

Met Warwick, who ran King’s Hill Barbers in Churchill Square, West Malling, was later barred from the premises by his landlord.

He’s since gone on to arrange a lockdown-breaking gathering at Mote Park in Maidstone which was called off on the day after reports police were going to show up.

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