A DISTRAUGHT daughter has spoken of her dismay at being interviewed by police over a “flippant” remark about euthanasia.

Carer and mum-of-five Nicola Sherwood, was interviewed under caution, after apparently being reported to police by her father’s care home over a comment about a TV documentary.

She described the experience as terrible, coming on top of the trauma of watching her father succumb to a mental illness.

She and her mum Brenda Withers, who fully supports her daughter’s comments, had been visiting dad John at Miranda House care, in Wootton Bassett.

Mr Withers, 74 and a former manager at Rover, was diagnosed two-and-half-years ago with Alzheimer’s, and has been in the home since May.

Mrs Sherwood, 43, of Ermin Street, Stratton, said her only crime was to make an off-hand comment after watching the Terry Pratchett documentary on euthenasia.

She also said she is now no longer allowed to take her father out of the home if she is unaccompanied.

“I was just merely commenting that in an ideal world, watching that programme, I’d go on my holidays for six weeks, come back, and give him that mixture. But then the police would be called and I’d be banged up,” she said.

Staff overheard the conversation and a supervisor took her aside for a chat.

Then, last week, she got a call from Gablecross police station, inviting her for an interview.

“I was being interviewed under caution, and had the right to remain silent,” she said.

“They were concerned because I made a flippant comment about wanting my dad to be dead rather than living in this nightmare.

“It was terrible given the fact of what we’ve gone through.

“If I was going to kill my dad do you not think I was going to do it before we put him in a home, to save everyone the trauma?”

She said if her father had known he would be reduced to such a helpless state, he would be appalled.

“You are grieving for someone, but you haven’t had a funeral. All their internal organs are intact. And all you know is it can only get worse.”

But she stressed that she could not take his life herself.

“I wouldn’t. Anyone who gets euthanasia needs to understand what they’re doing. If my father had known how quickly the disease would have taken him, he would have made those choices.”

Her 67-year-old mother, of Birchwood Road, who has been married to John for 45 years, said: “I think the whole scenario is crazy. Her having to go in there is absolutely disgusting. Haven’t they got anything better to do?

“I wish he was dead. I’ll say it myself. He’s not the person he was.

“He’s got a degree in engineering and he can’t eat with a knife and fork. But it doesn’t make me a murderer.”

Police confirmed they had interviewed Mrs Sherwood, and said in a statement: “You’ll understand that we have to follow up on any concerns we have reported to us, and this is one of those incidents.”

Emma Charlton, from Miranda House, which is owned and operated by Caring Homes Group, said: “We are duty bound under regulations for safeguarding vulnerable adults to report any remarks or actions regarding our residents.

“We pride ourselves on delivering the highest standards of care, and the health and wellbeing of all our residents is always our number one priority.

“We are working closely with all the relevant authorities and while an investigation is underway, it would not be appropriate to comment further.”