Scarborough police officer verbally abused for having lunch said support shown to him was 'overwhelming'

Last week PC Liam Cromack of North Yorkshire Police was shouted at and filmed by a member of the public who spotted him during his lunch break.

He said: "I have been amazed by the response generated by the post and the overwhelming support of the public. I actually think every one of the replies to my tweet have been entirely positive which is really nice to read as my colleagues and I do work hard to meet public demand, especially given the recent challenges facing policing.

"I’m particularly grateful for DCC [Deputy Chief Constable] Phil Cain from our Chief Officer Team in voicing his support for officers taking their meal break in public. That level of backing from senior officers is really great.

"As a police officer we are often confronted with difficult and sometimes upsetting scenes so any little breaks you do get are a chance to process things you’ve witnessed and perhaps talk it out with your colleagues. That said, if another emergency call comes in we will always be ready to respond to it, even if we are in the middle of eating a hot meal. We would never ask for special treatment, just a little understanding that we are human beings doing a job and we do need to eat. Quite often I personally choose to do this in public so I can remain visible and ready to respond as needed but each officer is different."