A DEVOTED son spent more than a week camping in a tent near a hospital just so he could visit and care for his paralysed dad every day for an hour.

Scott Hayes, 38, of Mersea Road, Colchester, had been sleeping rough near the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield where his dad Trevor, 63, is being treated.

Trevor was rushed to the facility’s specialist Osbourn ward after he was hit by a car near his home in Skegness. The accident has left him paralysed from the shoulders down.

Despite the seriousness of his dad’s condition, Scott has only been able to visit him for an hour a day, due to the current coronavirus restrictions.

In order to be close to his dad without having to embark on a four-hour journey to and from Essex and the hospital every day, Scott decided to set up camp nearby.

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He has now returned to his home in the “fantastic town” of Colchester after living in the tent for a total of nine days.

Scott said: “It broke me when I heard what had happened to my dad because he is my world. My heart just dropped.

“I could not talk and I was screaming and shouting but then I got myself calm and composed.

“I just went to Sheffield with a tent and no plan whatsoever and when I saw him I just felt like protecting him.

“I am soft like Nivea, so it was very cold, but it was a bit of an adventure and I have come back with more than I went with in many ways.”

During his daily visits, Scott helped to shave and wash his dad and managed to camp out for so long thanks to the support of a local mosque and Tesco Express staff who would charge his phone.

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Scott, who gave flowers to the NHS workers before leaving, will now return to the city in a few weeks to check-in with his dad.

“It has been a dark time and my dad is in a really dark place,” added Scott.

“But the hospitality of the people who did not even know me was fantastic and all the doctors and nurses caring for my dad have been impeccable and life-changing putting smiles on his face.

“I am a strong believer but I think this will be how my dad will be now for all of his life.

“It will a difficult road for him to get back to normal but I hope miracles can happen.”