A Tory council candidate was left red-faced when a doorbell camera caught the moment he mistook a 24-year-old homeowner for a CHILD - even asking if his 'mum and dad are home'. Hilarious footage shows Sam Gascoyne, the Conservative candidate for Pitsea North-West ward in Basildon, Essex, exclaim 'your house?' after homeowner Steven Wood informs him he lives there.
Steven admits that he's often mistaken for someone much younger due to his baby face and height of 5ft 3in so he wasn't surprised when a caller assumed he was underage and asked if his mum and dad were at home. The assembly operator moved in with partner, Bethany, 21, six months ago and was redecorating on Saturday when he had a knock at the door.
Ring doorbell footage caught the moment Sam looms over him and asks 'are mum or dad in?' while playfully motioning with his hands as if talking to a child. When Steven responds 'I live here, it's my house', Sam gives an embarrassed giggle as he realises his embarrassing error.
Sam, who is sporting his blue Conservative rosette in the clip, admits he wishes the footage was fake and that it's not the first time he's made a blunder - having previously assumed a child was the homeowner. Steven, from Basildon, Essex, said: "I'm 24 and five foot three so I look about 11. I was midway through wallpapering. I answered the door, I wasn't expecting anyone, I couldn't open it full way because the bedside table was in the way. He said 'is your mum and dad in?'.
"I thought it was funny, I said to my mum before I moved in that I could see it happen because I'm still getting ID'd for cans of Monster. I was with my girlfriend's dad who found it hilarious. If I was expecting it, I would have called him to the door and pretended he was my dad as a joke but it completely threw me off guard.
"Bethany was out so she missed it. I thought I wonder if it's on the ring doorbell and it was. She thought it was hilarious. She absolutely loved it. She looks older than me My whole family thought it was hilarious, my mum had been to a funeral so it made her day."
Sam, who is standing in the May 2022 elections, said: "I have to say I feel somewhat embarrassed that I made that mistake. I'm actually standing for election and try to be careful about not making assumptions.
"This kind of thing has happened before - I thought I was talking to the homeowner only to discover they weren't old enough to vote. After looking at the comments some people thought it was fake - in many ways I wish it was - but I'm afraid it isn't.
"I really hope this doesn't put him off voting for me! If I don't get elected at least I have an opportunity to be a Stephen Merchant impersonator." Steven says it isn't the first time someone has assumed he's a child and asked to speak to his parents and has even been treated suspiciously when buying aspirin or an energy drink.
Steven said: "There's been so many occasions where its happened. I went to the bank with my mum and I'd asked to set up an account with them. The woman had a clipboard, looked down to me and said 'aw how old are you?'. I was 23 at the time. She was taken aback.
"I've gone into a shop to buy aspirin, holding a car key and she looks at my ID, looks at me funny thinking I'm not that old and says 'oh you're with your mum, that's alright'.nI find it funny, I've learned to deal with it."
Steven's brother has shared the video on Twitter which has since gone viral, racking up more than 50,000 interactions and commentors describing it as 'comedy gold'. One commentor said: "It's harmless but hilarious too. Won't be complaining when they're older and still being asked!"
Another wrote: "That is f*****g great haha." Another said: "The pause and look before asking for Mam & Dad is hilarious. You can see him weighing up the question!"
