Royal Mail has had to apologise to the dad of a two-year-old girl after one of their postmen called the young child 'a spastic'.
35-year-old James Beresford was trying to park his car outside a post office when his space was taken from underneath his nose by the Royal Mail employee.
James' daughter Sophie, who suffers from cerebral palsy and has a heart defect, required the disabled space, but had it stolen from them by the postie.
James got out of his vehicle to try to confront the thoughtless postman, but was met by a tirade of foul mouthed abuse before the postman eventually drove off laughing.
Mr Beresford claims that the Royal Mail employee told him to 'fuck off and man up' and started filming him and his daughter on a mobile phone.
Mr Beresford, of Malvern, Worcestershire, said: "I very clearly and loudly asked him why he was filming a very young disabled child.
"I think this took him by surprise as he stopped filming Sophie and me directly.
"Then I pointed out the elderly person who had a blue badge also wanting to park behind to have him just laugh at me and tell me I should go away and get a job.
"At that point I told him that Sophie's mum is a stay at home carer for Sophie and that I have a full-time job, only to get the response 'well fuck off to work then and stop bitching at me over a spastic's parking space'."
He continued: "At this point I put Sophie in the car and he drove off laughing at me.
"Is this the world we live in now?"
The incident happened on 10 December outside the Malvern Link post office.
Mr Beresford explained: "I pointed out that he had parked in a disabled spot and he just said, 'I don't give a shit' and he started swearing at me. 'I don't give a shit, this is spastic parking for your spastic daughter'.
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"I couldn't believe he was saying such horrible things. For me, the language constitutes a hate crime."
He added: "I made a comment as the gentleman was getting in the van in the depot, that was: 'What are you going to do, are you going to run me and my daughter over?'
"He turned around and went: 'I'm happy to run you over'.
"I felt very threatened at that point so I, for my safety and my daughter's safety, had to leave."
Mr Beresford has contacted the police and they are investigating the incident. Royal Mail has also opened an investigation as well as apologising to Mr Beresford and his daughter.
A spokesperson for Royal Mail said: "We are shocked and saddened to hear what happened to Mr Beresford and his daughter and we have launched an urgent investigation into the matter.
"We sincerely apologise to Mr Beresford and his daughter for the upset this incident has caused them and we will keep Mr Beresford updated on our investigation."
Featured Image Credit: SWNS/PA