Police mocked for puddle splasher hunt

 A police force has been accused of wasting resources in the hunt for a motorist who soaked a mother and her two children by driving through an adjacent puddle.

The driver drove through the 20ftlong pool of water, police said, soaking the mother as she pushed one of her children in a pram.

The incident, which happened in St Ives, Cambs, on Jan 4 and was described by Cambridgeshire Constabulary as “unbelievable”, saw an appeal go out for witnesses.

However, people in the area have slammed the force for wasting resources on the appeal. Lisa Hawksford, 46, who lives opposite the puddle, said: “Police should be focusing on burglaries, theft and assault ... I understand this lady got drenched, but it’s just one of those things.”

People also hit out on Facebook. Stef Barnes, from Cambridge, said: “Have the police really got nothing better to do than hunt down a car that drove through a puddle and splashed a few people? Hardly a major crime is it?”