Police have been criticised after they mocked a learner driver who crashed during their driving test.
The unlucky driver apparently failed after careering on to a pavement in a silver VW hatchback car, demolishing a traffic light in the process.
Both the student and examiner escaped injury in the accident which caused thousands of pounds worth of damage in Impington, Cambridgeshire.
But police poked fun at the driver by posting a picture of the crashed car on the Policing South Cambridgeshire account on Facebook.
A caption with the picture accompanied with a sad face emoji joked: ‘Sorry but it’s a fail on this occasion!
‘We were called to Impington this morning after the driver of this vehicle, who was reported to be on their driving test, crashed into a set of traffic lights.
‘No one was injured… apart from pride maybe! £SaferCambs’
But many Facebook followers were quick to criticise officers for publicly humiliating the driver.
Cambridgeshire Police was slammed for mocking an unlucky learner driver who smashed into a traffic light during their driving test
One comment on the post said: ‘This does seem to be rubbing salt into wounds. If they were under the influence of drink or drugs, then fair comment but nothing to imply they were.’
Another added sarcastically: ‘Great job in destroying his confidence! Well done Policing South Cambridgeshire.’
A third follower wrote: ‘Posts like this show what bullies you lot are. What a way to make someone lose their confidence.’
Other comments included: ‘Learner shaming. Not nice’ and: ‘Do you not have anything else to do than show something like this?’
But others joked about the picture, with comments such as one with a laughing emoji, saying: ‘Yeah….. If you’re going to fail, make it one to remember.’
Another user joked: ‘When the examiner said ‘Go straight at the lights*.” while others said: ‘The driving instructor should resign’ and: ‘You can’t pass there mate.’
Others pointed out that the car appeared to be privately owned and the accident might have been avoided if the learner had taken their test in a driving school car with dual controls.
One more user said: ‘I think if I done that in my driving lesson or test I would’ve given up’ while another observed: ‘I bet you s/he would have told the examiner, ‘I was about to press the brake”
The force joked ‘Sorry but it’s a fail on this occasion!’, leading some to criticise the post for destroying a learner’s confidence
Another wrote: ‘That’ll be an interesting tale with their future ‘How many times did it take you to pass your test?’ conversations.’
Driving instructor Sue Papworth, the chair of the Cambridgeshire Association of Approved Driving Instructors, said: ‘When it comes to tests, students can behave in strange ways, be it nerves or lack of understanding.
‘There’s a lot of talk about if students should take tests in their own cars, but there is no legislation to say you need to have dual control….as long as the car is roadworthy.
‘With or without dual control, the examiner would have done everything they could to prevent this.’