The police have been accused of taking a heavy handed approach to remove a man from a swimming pool after he became angry at being SPLASHED by children.
Eight officers 'dragged' the middle-aged man from the pool as it was, they claimed, a potentially 'high risk' situation.
The man had reportedly shouted at a group of youths while swimming at the
Littledown Centre in Bournemouth on Tuesday evening. The police were called and, to the amazement of other swimmers, two officers then jumped into the baths and paddled to the middle of the water to deal with him.
The Telegraph reports that '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'.
After hauling the man over the edge, he was then surrounded by 'at least four' other uniformed officers, who, according The Sun had handcuffs at the ready.
The events were filmed by a member of the public on a mobile phone.
Despite their attendance at the incident, the police later said that 'no offence had been committed' and that it was 'not in the public interest' to pursue the matter.
Staggeringly, cops later gave the shouty swimmer a lift home.
One witness said she had seen the man shouting 'get out of my way' and swearing at a boy. After being told by a lifeguard to leave and refusing to do so, the officers then arrived and forced the man out using a 'long, red noodle float', the female bystander said.
Another witness told the Telegraph 'a man did indeed have unacceptable threatening behaviour to a bunch of young boys who were splashing around him and potentially being a nuisance. They did not deserve the abuse the man threw at them.' He admitted that 'what followed was farcical – four police cars, an entourage of police and members of the general public filling every window available.'
On the mobile phone video (see above) a member of the public can be heard saying 'they are literally, like, choking him ... Oh my goodness how many cops are there?'.
You couldn't make it up, could you?!