Police officer refuses to attend Co-op robbery taking place just 200 yards away from him

The PCSO instead said: “I’m not a response unit unfortunately.”

The encounter was captured on a member of the public’s dash cam and later posted to TikTok.

The driver initially approaches the stationary police car and engages the officer through the driver’s window.

The driver said: "You need to get around to the Co-op.

"Honestly, there's just been a fight around there because people are trying to stop the shoplifters that you're doing nothing about.

"There's a member of the public that's just been assaulted by a 15-year-old girl who's drunk, had a drink thrown in her face, got punched.

"People have called the police, we've come round here and you're sitting here."

It was at this moment that the PCSO responded: "I'm not a response unit unfortunately."

The driver then reasoned: “I know you’re not but the sight of the car will make them scatter.”

The PCSO responded: "Yeah but then I'll have to deal with it."

Sounding taken aback, the driver asked the officer if they were “afraid to deal with” the alleged assault, to which the PCSO dismissed as “not the point.”

Becoming impatient, the driver responds “that sort of is the point” before accusing the officer of “cowardice” as he refused to budge.

In a parting jab, the PCSO sneered: “I don’t care what other people think.”

This was described as a “pretty poor attitude” by the driver.

West Sussex local policing Superintendent Nick Dias responded to the incident: “Keeping the public safe and feeling safe is paramount and our officers and PCSOs work hard to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, often in challenging circumstances.

"We [work] closely with local retailers and partners to help prevent and respond to anti-social behaviour and assaults on shop workers.

"We are sorry for the clumsy language used by the PCSO in this exchange and acknowledge the public's concern.

"A police unit was dispatched to the scene as a matter of priority. Our response to this incident is being reviewed."

Former Scotland Yard detective, Peter Bleksley, told The Express: “They are wearing a police uniform, they are in a marked vehicle. They are supposed to be there as a presence in communities. This is crime being committed in their community.

“That officer most definitely should have responded or at the very least, got on the radio and got another unit to go and attend this incident.

“This cuts across the whole trust in the police which as we know is tanking and this police community support officer in this case, in my opinion, clearly came way, way short of what we should expect from them.”