Motorist could be fined for splashing children

Kerry Callard, a motorist filmed deliberately driving through a puddle and splashing children at a bus stop, could could face prosecution for inconsiderate driving, police have said. Police received complaints after the 30-second clip, which includes an excited commentary from the passenger, was posted on YouTube.

The clip, since removed from the site - and re-uploaded - was shot inside a car being driven by Kerry Callard, 29 down Weston Mill Hill, Plymouth, Devon. Police said the driver had voluntarily contacted them and may be prosecuted. Miss Callard, 29, said she only did it because the children were enjoying it.

The video was shot by her partner Alec Goff, 28, in the passenger seat. The Road Traffic Act contains an offence of "careless, and inconsiderate, driving" and, according to Crown Prosecution Service policy, that could include driving through a puddle to splash bystanders. Courts may impose fines of up to £2,500 for such an offence.



Sgt Gary Watson, from the police response team at Plymouth West Sector, said he had received three complaints about the incident, two from people in Plymouth and one from an Exeter resident, after the footage appeared on the internet on Thursday. He said he believed a road traffic offence had been committed. "It could have potentially been that as well as splashing them, they ran them over, and then we would have had six or seven people dead at the roadside", he added.

Miss Callard, a professional carer said that she had contacted the police herself after realising the furore the video had caused, and was due to give a statement to them. She said that after driving on, they decided to go back and splash them, and recorded it because it was quite unusual. "They were having fun in the bad weather," she said.

"The fun factor is mostly gone from life these days but they were playing in puddles, like kids always have done. "If the kids weren't saying, 'Splash me, splash me,' I certainly wouldn't have done it." She said the children were standing by the puddle waiting to be splashed, and she did not think that they were even waiting for a bus.