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Footage captured on Harry
Weaver's mobile phone

by Lynn Cox

A police officer has been caught
on camera telling a group of children they are the “scum of the
estate”.

The footage was taken by 14-year-old
Harry Weaver, who lives at Liberty Park, a housing development
outside Wainscott, Medway.

Police have stepped up patrols in the area recently after
reports of anti-social behaviour and criminal damage.

The boy recorded the incident on his
phone when he and some friends were approached by two officers on
Sunday and took it home to show his parents, Peter and Margaret
Weaver, of Gold Drive.

One of the children asks the officers
why they are asking them questions, to which the officer replies,
"You lot round here are the scum of the estate."

When the children object, he then
tells them it’s his opinion. The children then say that they could
call him "scum" too, to which the officer replies; "Okay, I’ll take
that."

It is understood the matter will be
referred to the Kent Police professional standards committee for
investigation.

Harry’s parents told him to film what
the police were doing as he kept coming home telling them officers
were stopping him constantly.

Mrs Weaver, 48, said: "The police
officer should not talk to children like that and we are not scum.
We have complained to Kent Police about the language he uses.

"I guess there are some youngsters on
the estate who do cause trouble, but not all the children who live
here should be labelled in the same bracket - Harry is not a
troublemaker."

The Weavers also think the police are
too heavy-handed with their patrols.

Mr Weaver, 51, claimed he saw a police
patrol car pass by their home at least 43 times in one night.

He added: "Last weekend, officers came
to arrest a young girl and there were 13 cars and two police vans
on the estate.

"All the police presence is just
frustrating the children, it does seem to be very
heavy-handed."

Police say
they have been getting positive feedback from people living on the
estate and the incident will be thoroughly investigated.

Chief Insp Mark Arnold said: "Police
are responding to concerns raised by the community about young
people persistently causing a nuisance in the Liberty Park
area.

"Our response is to provide highly
visible and robust policing to reassure local residents and to
deter crime and antisocial behaviour.

"This includes our officers patrolling
on foot and talking to people of all ages.

"This allows us to build up a rapport
and has already generated a good deal of positive feedback from the
community.

"We expect high standards from all of
our officers and will thoroughly investigate all cases where these
standards have not been met."