A VAN driver who hurled abuse at a police safety camera team in a Dorset layby has appeared in court – and was ordered to pay compensation.

Dorset Police has warned drivers officers will not tolerate abuse directed toward members of the Dorset Police Safety Camera Team.

“On average, six people are injured on the roads in Dorset every day,” a police spokesperson said. “Our safety camera team is integral as part of our drive to make the roads safer in our county and to prevent serious or fatal road traffic collisions.

“The team works on a four-weekly rota of deployment based on collision statistics and complaints from the public to target those who are driving at excessive speeds.

“When a driver uses excess speed, they are putting themselves and other motorists at an increased risk of being involved in a road traffic collision.

“The tragic consequences of any collision are likely to be more significant if the speeds involved are higher.

“The presence of a safety camera van can reduce the speed of motorists and help reduce the risk of anyone being injured in a road traffic collision.”

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The warning comes after an incident on Tuesday, October 29 last year, when a member of the safety camera team was operating a van in a layby on the A348 Ringwood Road, in Ferndown.

The location has seen 45 people were injured on the road since 2019, the spokesperson said, with numerous complaints of speeding from the public.

“A Peugeot van – driven by the defendant – pulled into the layby in front of the safety camera van to take a phone call,” the spokesperson went on.

“The Peugeot was obstructing the view of the camera so the operator asked the driver to move their van.

“The driver refused to move and responded by shouting continued abuse at the camera operator and made threats toward him.

“The operator went back inside his van and requested police officer attendance, but the defendant left the scene before officers arrived.

“Following an investigation, the Peugeot driver was identified and subsequently issued with a postal requisition to appear before the court.”

At a hearing on Thursday, March 20, at Poole Magistrates’ Court, Richard Frank Arnold, 61, of Mount Road in Bournemouth, appeared and pleaded guilty to resisting or obstructing an accredited person and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

He was sentenced to a 12-month community order to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £150 compensation to the victim, as well as costs totalling £349.

Police Sergeant Gareth Thomas, of the No Excuse Team, said: “The defendant directed a tirade of abuse at the camera operator, who was just trying to do his job and prevent an injury collision being caused by a speeding driver.

“We are continually striving to reduce the number of casualties on the roads in Dorset and we know one of the causes for this can be excess speed.

“We will take a no tolerance approach to anyone who displays abuse towards a member of our Road Safety Team.”