Police officers were taunted by onlookers after a patrol car became lodged on a retractable security bollard.

The embarrassing blunder in St Peter's Street, Canterbury, was caught on camera by passers-by.

Recovery vehicle with the disabled police car

The vehicle became lodged on the bollard at about 10pm, near the Westgate Towers after officers had been dealing with an incident and making arrests.

But now it has been revealed that the police car was 'tailgating' at the time of the incident, which the city council has warned against.

A recovery vehicle was called to remove the stricken vehicle - much to the amusement of spectators watching on, who laughed and jeered.

A police spokesman said: "Kent Police was called to a disturbance in Pound Lane, Canterbury shortly before 9.50pm on Monday, September 6.

"Officers attended and two men were arrested on suspicion of affray in relation to the incident.

"As officers left the area, a police car they were travelling in passed over a lowered automatic bollard, which then rose, damaging the front of the vehicle."

City council spokesman Rob Davies said: "This unfortunate incident was captured by our CCTV camera at the bollard, which showed it was caused by tailgating. The bollard system was operating exactly as it should and there are signs up stressing the importance of not tailgating.

"We have worked closely with the emergency services to explain how to get in and out of the city centre especially in a blue light situation, which yesterday's incident was not."

Emergency services do have 24-hour access to the city centre through the council's CCTV control room.

It is the latest in a series of incidents of vehicles getting stuck on the retractable bollards, which were introduced in the city centre in October last year as an anti-terror security measure.

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