Police officers abused by public for taking a lunch break speak out
The officers have spoken of their own experiences after a police constable, who had spent several hours with a heartbroken family following the sudden death of a baby, was met with an angry note on his car windscreen.
The officer, who had stopped at a Tesco store to get a sandwich after his shift, was horrified to discover a note on his patrol car saying: "£100 fine for shopping on duty".
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Hide AdHe took to Twitter to express his disbelief at the note earlier this week.
His tweet has now seen police officers across the country share their own experience of abuse from members of the public for simply stopping for a quick break.
One officer, using the Twitter handle @JustACopper999 tweeted: "I walked into Tesco once covered in dust and got the usual 'what a mess' comments. So would you be if you'd been giving CPR (and failed) on a building site. Let me get a bottle of coke before I get changed and carry on with my shift."
He tweeted: "I was working extended shifts(Manchester bombing) and popped into Sainsbury's. Coming out bloke shouted saying I shouldn’t have a break as I was getting paid. I was on my arse thankfully Members of public who heard were great and used words that warranted a public order warning!"
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Hide AdWhile a paramedic received abuse after trying to save a drowning child.
He said: "Back in my ambulance days, called to a child seen going under in a river. Hours with all the services hoping he would be found. Eventually stood down and returned to the ambulance to go for a very late and sombre break. Passer by said 'oh, you're giving up'. Hurts, Best they don't know."
Another officer got accused of shopping on duty because he had a carrier bag in his hand.
He said: "I once had it where I was walking along with a carrier bag. 'Tut tut' someone said, 'shopping on duty?'. I replied and said 'no in fact it's a signed photo of Arsenal FC that I got for a kid who was mugged last week! No reply from the man."