Beware the hobby bobby

‘Anything you say may be given in evidence. Do you have anything to say?’

I looked at the baby-faced police officer and tried to think of an appropriate response.

I had been driving to Guildford station to meet a friend who every now and then comes from his nearby home on the train. I park in the station car park and together we walk to a kebab shop, order some food, eat it where we can perch, and cheer ourselves up.

Running low on diesel, I pulled into a filling station on the way. After pulling back out, I noticed a police car close behind. I turned into the railway station and its lights flashed.

Readying myself to explain the Covid-compliant kebab, I wound down my window. The officer, who looked like a young Tom Cruise, said: ‘Are you aware you just turned the wrong way out of a filling station?’

I said I wasn’t, and I was sorry.