A businessman who yelled and swore in front of primary school children when police stopped him for speeding has been fined £2,015.

Andrew Priest, 39, was pulled over by PCSOs during a speed watch scheme at Gorsey Bank Primary School after he was clocked travelling at 37mph along Altrincham Road – a traffic blackspot currently subject to a residents’ campaign for a reduced speed limit.

The self-employed IT consultant, who lives in a gated community for retired people at Warford Park in Mobberley, hurled abuse at the PCSOs and staff when they explained the speed watch process, which gave him the option of taking a £60 fixed penalty notice or answering questions from the group of 10-year-olds waiting nearby.

During his trial at Macclesfield magistrates’ court on Monday, he was accused of saying ‘This is b*******, you’re PCSOs, not even proper pigs’ and asking teaching assistant Debra Barker ‘Is this what you f****** teach kids?’

The 10-year-old children were described in court as suffering ‘distress’ caused by his outburst, which Priest’s own solicitor described as ‘obnoxious’.

He was also arrested for a public order offence and dangerous driving when he refused to calm down, but was later de-arrested for dangerous driving.

Speaking at the trial, Priest denied the charges and claimed he didn’t know there were children near.

He said: “I wasn’t speeding, the traffic was exceptionally slow. I felt I was being targeted. I’ve never heard of a kids’ court, it sounds ridiculous. I’m not being ostracised by children.”

Defending Priest, Maura Logan said Mrs Barker’s recollection of events was exaggerated.

She said: “He was entitled to voice his concern and passionately express his innocence. It’s not surprising he was agitated when the police officer arrived.

“Was he rude? Yes. Obnoxious? Yes. Angry? Maybe, but not unreasonable, and not in breach of criminal law.”

She added: “There has been a lot of press coverage. People stare at him in the supermarket. The news has spread like wildfire.

“He’s really being made to pay for what he did that day.”

District Judge Pam Baldwin found Priest guilty of using threatening words and behaviour to cause distress and speeding following a three-day trial.

He was fined £800 for the public order offence and £200 for speeding. His licence will be endorsed with three points and he must pay £1,000 court costs and £15 victim surcharge.

She said: “There was no evidence before me that the equipment was malfunctioning or being used wrongly.

“Mr Priest was within his rights to refuse to take part in the event. He was not told he could leave and his enquires about what a section five was not responded to.

“(All three witnesses) said your shouting and aggressive behaviour caused the children present to exhibit signs of distress. It was clearly a school in the middle of the school day , I find it very difficult to accept (you) did not know of their presence.

“I’ve no doubt that these incidents were frustrating. In my view Mr Priest went beyond a legitimate expression of frustration.”

She added that he was not guilty of damaging a police officer’s hat during the incident.