A DRIVER who ran over a parking warden's foot while he was being given a ticket has been found guilty of driving without due care and attention.

In August 2019, a uniformed Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO, or parking warden), was attempting to issue a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) to a car which was parked incorrectly on Weymouth Esplanade when the owner of the car returned.

The CEO informed the owner that the PCN was being issued, but the driver got into the car and started the engine. When the driver beckoned the CEO over to the driver’s window to apparently talk, the driver pulled away without warning. In doing so, he ran over the foot of the parking warden, leaving him injured on the ground.

The car was prevented from leaving the area by other nearby motorists who witnessed the incident, at which point the driver pulled over and returned to the scene on foot.

A taxi driver from Fleetline Taxis drove the injured parking warden to hospital. While X-rays showed there was no bone breakage, there was soft tissue damage that required the CEO use a big foot brace and crutches while he took time off work to recover.

At Weymouth Magistrates Court on March 29, the driver pleaded not guilty and offered a conflicting version of events provided by the parking warden. However, due to video footage of the incident taken from the CEO’s bodycam, there was compelling evidence to convict the driver.

The driver was fined £370 plus court costs, found guilty of driving without due care and attention and had five points placed on his licence.

Paul Hutton, service manager for parking services at Dorset Council, said: "This was a CEO going about his duties, keeping Weymouth’s roads clear and making sure traffic stays moving in one of the busiest parts of the county during peak tourist season.

"Through this driver’s negligent behaviour, our officer was injured and it’s only by sheer luck that this incident wasn’t more serious.

"On behalf of our CEO, I want to say thanks to the many people who stopped to help and to the kind taxi driver who took him to hospital. I also want to thank Dorset Police for their hard work in making sure this case had its day in court.

"Dorset Council will not tolerate abuse or harm of any kind toward any of our officers who are just trying to do their jobs, often under challenging circumstances. Please respect our colleagues as they do their work, especially during these difficult times."