Police sorry for parking row

POLICE have apologised to a driving instructor who complained over where a police van had pulled up at a dangerous junction.

Stuart Poole was with a 17-year-old student in Long Melford, near Sudbury, when they approached Hall Street from the narrow St Catherine’s Road.

On their right – actually in the junction and on double yellow lines – was a Vauxhall police van, which had pulled up outside The Patisserie in Hall Street.

Not only does that section of road have double yellow lines, it also has police warning bollards telling people not to stop there.

His student was unable to see around the police vehicle and so did not feel safe passing it.

Mr Poole decided to put the handbrake on and inform the police officers they were having difficulty.

Mr Poole said that rather than move, the police officer got out of the van and complained that he had left his student in the car on their own.

Mr Poole, who had taken a photograph of the police van, said he was told by workers in the Pattisserie that the police had been asking for directions.

“It is a really, really dangerous junction,” Mr Poole said. “I didn’t like the way it was put back on me.”

He has requested that the driver of the police van apologise to his student.

Although the police apologised and said its officers would be spoken to, they claim no offence was committed.

A spokesman for the force said the vehicle was not parked because it had somebody in it (disputed by Mr Poole) and, as a result, the police will not be taking action against its own officers.

However, the spokesman said: “We would like to apologise for this experience as it isn’t the image we want to portray.

“If it had been a member of the public then police would have asked them to move on.

“The female officer will be spoken to and we’ll endeavour to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. We’re grateful for the motorist bringing it to our attention.”