Labour MP Paul Eagle says sorry for phone call profanity, says it was a 'misunderstanding'

Labour Party MP Paul Eagle has apologised for swearing during a phone call with a panel beater - but says the incident was a misunderstanding.

Labour MP Paul Eagle says a tense phone call resulting in a Wellingtonian calling him "rude, entitled and disrespectful" was a misunderstanding.

Eagle has been slammed on the social media site Reddit, with a user going by the name "Cuthbertus" saying the politician swore at them over the phone.

However Eagle said the incident was a misunderstanding and he was swearing at people blocking the way to his office, but offered an apology anyway.

"He phoned into my work and threw his toys out the cot because he couldn't get his way," the user wrote.

"Swore at me and generally just acted like an entitled douche bag."

In the post, the person said Eagle was "the most entitled, rude and disrespectful man I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with."

The Reddit user called Eagle "entitled, rude and disrespectful". Photo / Mark Mitchell

They were "shocked someone in the public eye would treat someone as abhorrently as he treats someone who's just trying to help him", before warning others working in the service industry to be wary of dealing with Eagle.

Eagle told Fairfax he was talking to a panel-beater on Friday afternoon about getting his car fixed when "some guys give me lip" outside his Newtown electorate office, blocking his path.

"I was swearing at them, they were swearing at me," he said.

Eagle offered a formal apology for the incident, which he called a misunderstanding, saying he was keen to go back to the panel beater and say sorry in person.

The Herald has approached Eagle and the Reddit user for comment.