Updated 5.56pm with LESA reply

A man who took a photo of a community officer driving down a one-way road has been fined €100 for snapping the picture.

André Grech took a picture of the officer as he drove a vehicle with the number plate LES603 the wrong way down a one-way road into Triq il-Karmnu, Birkirkara. 

But the incident took a nasty turn, Grech said, after the officer noticed what he had done, chased him and slapped him with a fine for using his phone while at the wheel.  

Community officers, commonly known as wardens, are tasked with enforcing traffic and road safety rules as well as other minor contraventions, such as littering. 

Andre took to social media to open up about his incident with a warden this morning Photo: Facebook screenshot

Grech said that the community officer had turned down the one-way street and parked in front of a private clinic's lift and blocked access to it, despite the patch of road being marked with a yellow box indicating it must be kept clear. 

“I was driving behind the warden, and when I saw him turn and park in front of Da Vinci Hospital lift, I decided to stop at the side of the road and take a picture of him,” Grech told Times of Malta.

Grech said that the community officer saw him taking the photo, reversed his car and chased him. Grech said that the warden shouted at him to stop his car. 

“I could tell he panicked after he saw me taking pictures of him, and that then he decided to chase me and fine me.”

The warden fined Grech €100 for using his phone whilst in the car. Apart from the fine, Grech also had three points on his driving licence removed.

“When I told him I had pulled aside and stopped the car to take the photo, he said he would challenge me in court,” Grech said. 

“So instead of accusing himself for causing danger in both occasions, he fined me instead.”

Grech said he will be contesting the fine as he did nothing wrong.

Many people reacted angrily to Grech’s post, and said that he should challenge the warden in court.

“Have patience and go to the tribunal,” one person wrote.

The Local Enforcement System Agency, the agency that operates the community officer scheme, told Times of Malta that it is investigating the allegation. 

"The agency takes such reports very seriously," it said, adding that the officer would face "standard disciplinary procedures" if they were found to have acted out of line.