Eight policemen dragged swimmer from pool after he complained of being splashed by children

Police have been accused of over-reacting after dragging a swimmer from a pool when he reacted angrily to being splashed by children. It was, according to police, a potentially “high-risk” situation demanding nothing short of “dynamic” action. When a middle-aged man in swimming trunks started shouting at a group of youths at his local pool, after apparently being splashed, he might have expected to be told to calm down.



But for Dorset Police, nothing short of public safety was stake. A team of officers were dispatched to the scene of the disagreement at the Littledown Centre in Bournemouth on Tuesday evening with orders to deal with the situation. To the amazement of onlookers, two officers jumped into the water fully clothed and paddled to the centre to apprehend him.

Clutching what appeared to be child’s swimming float in one hand, one officer could be seen dragging the man, described as in his 50s, to the edge while his colleague offered backup support. They hauled him over the edge as he was surrounded by at least four other uniformed officers and a lifeguard where what appeared to be a short struggle could be seen. Onlookers described the incident – which was filmed on a mobile phone by a bystander – variously as “ridiculous” and “farcical”.


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But after speaking to the man, police admitted that “no offence had been committed” and gave him a lift home. A spokeswoman later said they had judged it was not “in the public interest” to take the matter further, although it is understood no apology has been offered. Police declined to say whether or not the man had been splashed.