Police respond to Prom ‘pistol-gate’

Police were responding after the occupants of the car were spotted soaking pedestrians and other drivers with a water pistol.

After being spoken to by police, one occupant has been reported with a view to prosecution.

The incident caused a flurry of comment on Twitter and Facebook about the use of police resources.

One wag said on Twitter: “PSNI make arrests in [Portstewart] after someone shot them with a water pistol...what about the driver of the PSNI water cannon on the 12th day?”

Another Tweeter dubbed the incident ‘pistol-gate’.

The story made nationwide news by being featured on Stephen Nolan’s Sunday night show on Radio 5 Live.

A police spokesperson confirmed: “Officers in Portstewart have reported a 22-year-old male to the Public Prosecution Service on suspicion of disorderly behaviour after an incident which occurred at approximately 9.15pm on the evening of Sunday, 21st July, on the Promenade at Portstewart.”

A police source told us: “Police don’t want to be kill joys and stop people having craic, but it’s our job to draw the line when things go too far. Some people might not take kindly to prankish behaviour and police were being proactive in this instance, preventing trouble from starting in the first place.”

An Ulster Unionist MLASandra Overend, who represents Mid Ulster, was in Portstewart with her family when a car drove past hers and squirted through her driver’s window.

She said “We were squirted and my cildren were in the back. One of them pipped up ‘I just got wet.

“There is a serious element where if you’re taken by surprise and squirted as a driver it could cause an accident.

“I think the police were right to stop them and warn them of the consequences of what could happen. I can also see from the other point of view that is was innocent fun but you need to understand the consequences if you are squirting drivers what can happen.”