Thames Valley Police say they have spoken to the young officer involved in the incident. Photo / TikTok
Thames Valley Police say they have spoken to the young officer involved in the incident. Photo / TikTok
A police officer was forced to pick up his discarded sandwich crusts after a resident accused him of littering outside his home.
A man filmed his confrontation with the Thames Valley Police officer after bread was allegedly thrown from a car window on to a street in Oxfordshire, west of London.
In the three-minute video, the resident repeatedly swears at the young officer during an exchange in which he accuses him of having no “respect”.
In the footage, the man appears to walk towards the uniformed officer before asking him for his collar number and the police station to which he is attached.
When he receives the answer, he asks: “Have you got an excuse why you pulled up outside my house to throw rubbish out of your car? Is there a reason for that?”
Initially, the officer responds by saying he had not dropped any rubbish but, when led around to his car by the man, admits the offending item is “actually just a sandwich crust”.
The resident responds: “So you think it’s OK to pull up outside somebody else’s house and chuck your lunch, or breakfast, outside my house. That’s acceptable, is it?”
Interrupting the officer during his response, the man then adds: “If I had done that in front of a police officer, or if a litter enforcement officer saw me do that, I’d get nicked, wouldn’t I? Course I would. You’ve got no respect, have you?”
The police officer replies: “I can fully understand where you’re coming from … I fully take that on board. I will keep that in mind for the future.”
But the remarks appear to prompt further outrage as the resident tells the officer he will be lodging a complaint against him before declaring, “Pick the f...ing crust up and take it with you.”
The police officer picked up his litter after the tirade from a resident. Photo / TikTok
Standing his ground, the officer insists he will not retrieve the crust. But the resident says: “Oh, you will … because I ain’t moving till you f...ing do it. This is my house and you just discard your food on the side of the road without any thought.”
After further discussion, the resident eventually tells the officer: “Move along. You’re dismissed, go away … don’t chuck food outside your car again.”
The footage was uploaded to TikTok on Wednesday and has received more than two million views so far. Social media users appear divided, with some criticising the resident for his approach, while others said they were amused by the confrontation.
The young Thames Valley officer talks to the resident on camera. Photo / TikTok
One woman commented: “You are embarrassing. Birds eat crusts. Stop picking fights with police to feel like a hard man.”
Thames Valley Police issued a statement on social media that said: “We are aware of a video being widely shared on social media involving one of our officers.
“The video has been reviewed internally and we have spoken to the officer involved. We have also been to discuss the encounter and the officer’s actions with the individual who recorded the video.
“We strive to learn from our encounters with the public, so the officer involved has been given a chance to reflect on their actions and learn from them.
“We will also be asking our independent scrutiny group, which is made up of members of the public, if they have any further recommendations for us.”
