An 84-year-old great- grandfather was chased into a bank by police community support officers – who claimed they saw him cycling on a pavement.
War hero James Gresty was followed into the Sale branch of the Halifax by two PCSOs, who called for back-up from police officers in a van when he refused to step outside.
The PCSOs told Mr Gresty, who won several Second World War medals, they saw him cycle on the path near the bank on School Lane.
But the retired grocer insists he got off his bike and was shocked by the ‘aggressive and rude’ PCSOs. When they asked him to leave the bank and explain why he had been cycling on the path, Mr Gresty refused and the PCSOs called for reinforcements.
Within minutes, two officers arrived and the pensioner was handed a £30 on-the-spot fine.
Witnesses said they were disgusted to see an elderly man being treated like a criminal.
Widower Mr Gresty is refusing to pay the fine and has sent it to Chief Constable Peter Fahy, challenging him to take him to court.
He said: "I was dumbfounded and couldn’t believe all these officers were wasting their time on me – an 84-year-old man who has never done anything wrong in his life.
"You’d have thought I was raiding the bank, given the way they descended on the place. I bet they sent more officers than they would if I’d been robbing it.
"I felt like a criminal, they were very aggressive towards me and their behaviour was discourteous, but I knew I was in the right so I stood my ground. I may be 84 but I’m not a pushover."
Mr Gresty, of Dane Road, Sale, travels three times a week by bike to the bank. He claims he got off when he reached the street and pushed it into the branch.
He told how he first realised something was wrong when he saw the PCSOs looking at him from across the street. He walked into the branch and was confronted seconds later.
He said: "They said they’d seen me cycling on the pavement. I told them I’d got off my bike and pushed it in but they didn’t listen. They asked me to go outside with them, I said no and then I saw one of them phoning for back-up. The next minute, a police van turned up with two more of them. It was ridiculous. The officers took my details and gave me this slip saying I had to pay £30 for cycling on the pavement.
"I was so angry that I put the slip in an envelope and sent it to the chief constable. I wrote that I’m not going to pay and they’ll have to take me to court. I doubt any court in the land would rule in their favour."
Mr Gresty, who has four children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, has returned to the scene of the ‘crime’ to see if any other people were slapped with fines.
He said: "I’ve seen lots of people on their bikes on the pavement but I’ve never seen anyone being given a fine.
"They’re obviously having some kind of a clampdown on it but they picked the wrong person with me. I use my bike to get out and about – they’re not going to stop me from doing that."
A witness said bank workers tried to come to Mr Gresty’s aid. He said: "It was disgusting that this old chap was followed into the bank and confronted like he was a criminal."
Chief Supt Mark Roberts said: "People cycling through the pedestrian area in Sale town centre has been a persistent problem and we have received many complaints from the public. We regularly run initiatives to tackle this and always receive a positive response. In the past week we have been addressing the problem again after an 82-year-old woman was knocked down, suffering facial injuries.
"In this particular case a PCSO tried to speak to Mr Gresty after he had ridden his bike through the pedestrian area. He refused to speak to the PCSO and after a number of attempts to speak to him from other officers failed he was issued with a fixed penalty notice.
"I appreciate people’s concerns of how this may have appeared and as in any case where people feel that they have been inappropriately issued with a fixed penalty this will be reviewed."
Mr Gresty served with the York and Lancaster regiment. He signed up on April 18, 1944 – six days after his 18th birthday. He left in September 1947 and worked for the Cooperative as a grocer.
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Im sorry for this poor guy but if a PCSO asks you to speak to them you should.Sorry but this time im afraid the PCSOs are in the right.cyclists are a danger when they ride on the pavements..
"He refused to speak to the PCSO and after a number of attempts to speak to him from other officers failed he was issued with a fixed penalty notice"
This says it all he refused.one law for us all (old and young included).
Maybe Mr. Gresty could become a PCSO himself. They're always riding around on the pavements in Chadderton. Don't get me wrong, they do a great job around here but they've obviously got a different species of PCSO in Sale.
obviously the plastic police have nothing better to do than harras the elderly
Mr Gresty, you are a hero and as an ex serving officer with gmp i have to say i m disgusted by the way you have been treated.
my only advise to you is to challenge the evidence and hopefully a successful solicitor will act for nothing on your behalf.
pcsos are a menace to society and i have to question the actions of the police officers!
they had discretion however obviously too frightened to use it!!
there is always the hope Mr Fahy will see sense and order the ticket to be wrote off.
good luck
I suoopose they try to earn medals somehow!!!!!!
Rules are rules. If it was a teenage hoodie riding the bike it would be no problem. Ive got a sneaking feeling that our war hero ( who i have great respect for ) might not be as innocent as he makes out.
Lets say I work for GMP ( not particularly proud of it ) but i think this incident is down to the 'preformance culture' that is sweeping through the organisation.
Everybody is trying the justify their position and seizing on every chance they get to obtain a 'tick in the book'
What ever happened to common sense policing? And for what its worth most cops are as frustrated as the general public.
Maybe Mr Gresty never made them a Cuppa at his home, In Hulme the Pcso's go to certain flats in St George's and drink tea there all day.
Power mad Plastic dibbles.
Pick on the hoodies who cycle at fast speed through Sale precinct instead or are you too scared?
A few weeks ago TWO of these PCSO numpties admonished me for crossing the road before the lights changed, now being the type of guy who will not suffer fools i told these pillocks in front of everyone that they should concentrate on more important matters, well after much toing and froing the real police were called while other members of the public berated these two for such an over reaction and disbelief of the fuss they were making. Once the coppers arrived i was put into the van while they spoke to the numpties and members of the public, anyway the copper then apologised to me but not in front of the pillocks telling me that the PCSO's cause the real coppers so much hassle that they are a burden to them.
FIGHT THIS OWD FELLA THEY CANT KEEP AN SOLDIER DOWN
84 year olds are an increasing menace: riding on the pavement, smoking their pipes, hanging about in libraries, wearing the hoods up on their cardigans. Well done PCSOs for your brave and selfless actions- you must have been scared he might come at you with his bicycle clips.
PCSOs ride their bikes on the pavement all the time, Good luck Mr Gresty,Respect for standing your ground
I always ride of the pavement, unless bike lane the roads are too dangerous I've got less chance of hurting someone on the pavement, then someone hurting me on the road so if they can catch me on the pavement, then I'll also refuse to pay the fine.
maybe he had a flat tyre ( what is a PSCO? please)
I'm glad they issued with him with a fixed penalty notice. Cycling on the pavement is dangerous, it can force pedestrians to have to walk in the road. He should have stopped when challenged. Arrogant sod!
Was this gentleman wearing a safety helmet.If not why did the PCSO chase him. It could have been dangerous.
I believe this is a infirngment on civil liberties the gentleman should fight the matter of the onspot fixed penalty and secure an appology over the way he was treated.
And as for Police back up common sense on the PCSO side would have been to give a warning about riding on pavements rather than sending for tax payers police force backup who probably was doing something about crime rather than a elderly gentleman riding on the pavement.
From now on if you see any PCSO's riding on pavements get their coller number and report them to their sargent....
The law is very clear, it is illegal to cycle on the pavements and those who do face the consequences - £30 fixed penalty notice. This is one of the many powers of PCSOs.
There are many elderly people who are scared of walking just to the shops because of cyclists on the pavements or in pedestrianised areas. People's fears are about both being knocked over by cyclists or stepping aside quickly to get out of the way.
People are being injured weekly because of this problem. Cycling on the pavements is becoming endemic and needs to be dealt with. There are no excuses.
JoeStalin,Gorton Bang on .just because hes a pensioner and a ex soldier with medals dosnt mean hes above the law or should treat police/PCSOs without respect,when asked by a police officer or PCSO he should have complied..just like youve said "Arrogant Sod".
Pcso's have no power whatsoever to ask anyone to do anything! If one asked for my details I would walk away, they cannot detain you in any way,shape or form!
Psco's are trying to act like cops which they are not! Its a different role completley! I would be embarrased to be one, police officers get enough abuse so can you imagine what Pcso's get and the reason for it is they act like cops yet have zilch power! They ought to stick to leaflet drops, thats the only thing I can see they can do right.
With the financial climate and the budget cuts within the police force, it will be a dead cert that the role of pcso will go! GMP have a 7 million pound budget reduction this year alone, so if there are 1000 pcso's at 20 k a year thats a saving of 2 million! The rest will go from smaller cuts i.e admin, natural wastage etc.
How sad though that they try and try and abuse their non existent power on a pcso and have to call for a real police crew who could have been dealing with REAL criminals!
Mr Gresty, get in touch with GMP professional standards branch and make an official complaint re the way you were spoken to!!!
Whatever the rights or wrongs of this case it amazes me that "Within minutes, two officers arrived and the pensioner was handed a £30 on-the-spot fine"; are these two officers part of the same force who take until the 1st of never to respond to a serious criminal incident. And why couldn't the PCSO's have dealt this minor offence that is if it was an offence.
As others have said, the plastics cycle on the pavement, I've seen them around Reddish doing it.
Why do they all the plastics look like a badly filled bag of straw with a piece of string 'round the middle?
"aggressive and rude’ PCSOs.".....Must have a 'big-time bust' of a serial offender. But this goes to show just what a useless waste of time and taxpayers money PCSO's are in the fact they had to call 'back-up'!
Someone please tell me exactly what purpose PCSO's serve to the public??
think that the PCSOs are quite correct in this case. I commend them as cycling on the pavement is dangerous to elderly pedestrians, the disabled and young children. Mr Gresty should know better and pay up!
Pcsos often cycle on pavements themselves, can we have some clarification as to whether or not they're above this particular law or not?
I'm all for fining people who cycle on pavements, the only bikes that should be allowed on pavements are those with stabilisers attached, however, I'd prefer if these pretendy coppers went after younger targets first instead of picking on a poor old bloke. Nice easy target for you was he guys? He may (or may not) have been doing wrong, but you wouldn't have done that to a couple of lads in their 20s would you? Easy to see why one half of the story has medals and the other half have a cat in hells chance of ever getting one!