A Swindon ice cream man has spoken out after allegedly committing a traffic offence.
Nick Mazzotta claims that he was wrongfully accused of driving while using his mobile phone in County Way at around 9.30am on 12 February.
Wiltshire Police say roads policing officers spotted Mr Mazzotta, who was driving a Nick’s Ice Creams-branded van, using a handheld device at the wheel.
After pulling him over, he was issued a Traffic Offence Report for the offence. But in a public statement on social media, Mr Mazzotta claims he is innocent.
He wrote: “I feel I need to speak up. Recently, I was wrongfully accused of driving while using my phone.
“Although no fine or points were issued, the accusation alone has been extremely upsetting, especially as I am a sensible, responsible driver with a clean driving record.”
Mr Mazzotta spoke of how he was “hurt” by coverage of the alleged offending on Wiltshire 999s’ social media and in the local newspaper – adding that it “simply isn’t true”.
The coverage followed a X post by Wiltshire Police’s Specialist Operations account, which provided details of the incident and a photo of the vehicle they had stopped.
It reads: “Driver stopped for using their mobile phone.
“Not quite a ‘99’, but it does get you 6 points and a £200 fine. Awkward cone-versation…that’s the best we could whip up today.
“Please don’t use your phone while driving. It’s never worth the risk.”
Today (Friday), in a new statement, a spokesperson for Wiltshire Police confirmed that a Traffic Offence Report was issued to the driver.
They said: “At around 9.30am on February 12 we pulled over an ice cream van after the driver was seen using his mobile phone while driving.
“He was subsequently issued with a Traffic Offence Report for the offence.”
