A MAN has been convicted for being abusive towards a traffic warden in Melksham.

Thomas Russell Callaghan's behaviour was described as "simply unacceptable" towards enforcement officers who "do an important job in the county."

Callaghan of Canon Square in Melksham faced two charges of using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm and distress to a traffic warden as they were issuing a penalty charge notice.

He pleaded guilty to the charges at Salisbury Magistrates Court on June 11.

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Callaghan has been sentenced to a community order and must now undertake 40 hours of unpaid work within the next year.

He was also issued with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement to attend appointments with a responsible officer and is required to pay a total surcharge of £95 to fund victim services.

Cabinet member for transport, Dr Mark McClelland said: “Civil enforcement officers do an important job in the county and to be subjected to any form of abuse whilst doing their job is simply unacceptable, so I am very pleased that we have had a conviction in this case.

“The council does not tolerate abuse of our staff and we would look to prosecute anyone found doing so.”