But the retired grocer insists he got off his bike and was shocked by the ‘aggressive and rude’ PCSOs. When they asked him to leave the bank and explain why he had been cycling on the path, Mr Gresty refused and the PCSOs called for reinforcements. Within minutes, two officers arrived and the pensioner was handed a £30 on-the-spot fine.
Witnesses said they were disgusted to see an elderly man being treated like a criminal. Widower Mr Gresty is refusing to pay the fine and has sent it to Chief Constable Peter Fahy, challenging him to take him to court. He said: "I was dumbfounded and couldn’t believe all these officers were wasting their time on me – an 84-year-old man who has never done anything wrong in his life.
"You’d have thought I was raiding the bank, given the way they descended on the place. I bet they sent more officers than they would if I’d been robbing it. I felt like a criminal, they were very aggressive towards me and their behaviour was discourteous, but I knew I was in the right so I stood my ground. I may be 84 but I’m not a pushover."
1 comment:
This is a shocking case, particularly when you dig into the spirit of the law as explained by the minister who introduced it, Paul Boateng. He said
"The introduction of the fixed penalty is not aimed at responsible cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of traffic and who show consideration to other pavement users when doing so. Chief police officers, who are responsible for enforcement, acknowledge that many cyclists, particularly children and young people, are afraid to cycle on the road, sensitivity and careful use of police discretion is required."
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