A SENIOR police officer has defended the action of a colleague who was sent to speak to a woman handing out pens at a polling station.

Jackie Jackson was spoken to by a police community support officer (PCSO) outside the polling station in Chichester last Thursday.

Police received an emergency call by a volunteer at the polling station in Durnford Close at around 12.25pm on Thursday (June 23) to a report of a disturbance and threatening behaviour.

A Sussex Police spokesman said a PCSO who was in the area went along to establish the circumstances.

In a video posted on social media, it shows the PCSO speaking to Mrs Jackson who admitted she was handing out pens outside the polling station.

Superintendent Ed De La Rue, who was in charge of the policing of polling stations across the county, said: "There have been a lot of negative comments directed towards one of our PCSOs as a result of this video being posted online, which is unfair.

"An emergency call was made to police about threatening behaviour outside the polling station so we sent a PSCO to find out what was going on.

"As the video shows, the PCSO discussed the report of threatening and intimidating behaviour with the woman to establish the circumstances and was satisfied that no action was needed. She spoke with the woman in a polite and pleasant way and recorded her decision in her notebook, which is usual and lawful, and left.

"Having watched the video the PCSO handled things in a really professional manner."