A COMEDIAN was given a police caution for a “silly joke” he made on Facebook.

John O’Sullivan, 37, of Horsham, took a photo of a traffic warden and posted it online. He wrote beneath the picture “I will give £36 to anyone who jumps on her back spanks her and rides her like a horse”.

But the warden saw the picture and Mr O’Sullivan ended up in a police cell.

He was later given a caution.

He told The Argus: “Obviously I didn’t want anyone to really jump on her back and ride her.

“It was just a joke.

“I know I went too far.

“It got 250 likes. I even deleted some of the comments because they were completely offensive.”

A few days later Facebook removed the picture after receiving a complaint. But two weeks later Mr O’Sullivan was told Sussex Police wanted to interview him about the matter.

He spend hours in a police cell and being interviewed and ended up being give a caution for causing “alarm and distress” to the warden.

He said: “I did not want it to come to this. I didn’t want her to be offended.

“I didn’t want to get a caution over this.

“I didn’t want to end up in a police cell.

“When the police interviewed me I admitted everything.

“It was just supposed to be stupid, a silly joke.

“When you put on a uniform you must expect to attract some comments. When I stand up on stage I expect to get a bit of abuse.

“If I bump into the traffic warden again I would like to offer her tickets to my show next year, but I don’t think she would come.

“I should really buy her a bunch of flowers for £36 but I think I know where she might stick them.”

A spokesman for Sussex Police confirmed: “A 37-year-old man from Horsham was cautioned for causing alarm and distress by posting an abusive message online about an individual.”