Cyclist claims council street warden told him and fellow riders to "Get off the road you divvies"

A council street warden in Middlesbrough reportedly swore at a group of cyclists and told them, “Get off the road, you divvies.”

The incident which happened at 5.40pm on Saturday 13 June left one of the cyclists, Adil Aurangzaib, asking how much training was being given to the street wardens – a job that he has done himself in the past, reports Teeside Live.

Mr Aurangzaib was riding with his brother, aged 18, and two male cousins, aged 18 and 14.

He said: “We had gone past the Empire and were heading towards the roundabout near the job centre all in a line near the double yellows so traffic could go past.

“A car came up behind us and beeped. The driver put the window down and one of my little cousins asked, ‘Are you ok mate?’”

He said that the driver, who was dressed in a street warden’s uniform including a stab-proof vest and a radio, told the group to “F off, get off the road, you divvies,” and that he also “shouted a load of abuse for no reason.

“He looked at me and flew off. It's absolutely disgusting.”

“We were speechless. My little cousin who is 14 said 'I don’t want to cycle anymore, let’s go home'.

“It was just out of blue and I don’t know why he did it,” added Mr Aurangzaib, who said he had emailed the Mayor of Middlesbrough Andy Preston regarding the incident.

Middlesbrough Council said that a complaint had been received, with a spokesman saying: “The council takes this kind of report very seriously and the matter will be thoroughly investigated in line with council policy and action taken where appropriate.”

The incident was also reported to police, with a spokeswoman for Cleveland Police saying: “Police received a report from a man that he had been verbally abused by a male driver who pulled up in a vehicle as he rode his pedal bike on Corporation Road, Middlesbrough, at around 5.40pm on Saturday, June 13.

“Enquiries are ongoing in relation to this incident.”