A BUS service had to be abandoned after the driver was intimidated by an abusive motorist who refused to move an illegally parked car.

The number 17 Morebus service was stopped in Arne Avenue in Poole at around 12.30pm yesterday and police were called to the scene.

Morebus operations manager Richard Wade told the Daily Echo: "A driver on our 17 service assessed a gap between cars and decided it wasn’t safe to pass through, without risking damage to the bus and one of the cars.

"He asked for assistance from the driver of a car. Sadly, rather than move their car, they responded in an intimidatory way. Our driver sought advice from police, but was able to continue the service after a short period of time.

"I urge other motorists to consider larger vehicles, like buses, when they park - and consider our need for room to pass. My colleagues’ jobs are made especially difficult in situations like this - and even more so when drivers refuse to give assistance and are abusive.”