The following is an abridged version of a story I saw on Facebook which I thought had its interesting points.

A motorist who blocked a police speed camera van and then called the officer inside it a ‘jobsworth’ must pay him £150 compensation.

Mr Richard Arnold prevented civilian officer Richard Mackenzie from filming speeding drivers after parking his lorry directly behind the police camera van saying he had to take an important phone call, concerning the health of his new-born grandson who was in hospital.

Mr Mackenzie stepped out of the camera van and told him he was ‘compromising the ability of the camera’ and asked him to move but Mr Arnold ignored this request and unleashed a tirade of abuse at him.

He was caught on camera telling Mr Mackenzie he was a ‘f****** jobsworth’ and called him a ‘p**** and a ‘w*****’ and continued, ‘you’re a f****** jobsworth, I will park here for the next hour and you won’t film anyone.’

It gets better, he then demanded the officer’s collar number, saying: ‘I want to report you for being a f****** p****’ and when Mr Mackenzie responded that he was just trying to do his job, Mr Arnold shouted: ‘And I’m doing mine so go f*** yourself.’

He finished by saying he hoped he went home and found his family dead, which may have been a little on the strong side and presumably only said in the heat of the moment.

Magistrates in Poole, described Mr Arnold’s behaviour as ‘diabolical and appalling’ as they sentenced him for obstructing an accredited person and using threatening or abusive words or behaviour.

As with every situation there are always two ways of looking at things, if the camera van was legally parked, I would assume another vehicle parked in front of it must also be legally parked.

Obviously, it’s unfortunate for Mr Richard Mackenzie an accredited person, who is just trying to nab speeding drivers but one assumes he could have moved his van to another location and hidden it behind a bush as they usually do!

Unfortunately, for Mr Richard Arnold who parked in front of the camera van, his language was a little fruity, even though vast numbers of the passing motorists must have had similar thoughts, it seems you get in trouble when you voice them out loud.

I was surprised with the sentencing as I was unaware of the offence of obstructing an accredited person, although I assume, using threatening or abusive words or behaviour is a proper offence. Either way it cost him £150!