Officer wrote 'kitchen bitch' on traffic notice

A highway patrol officer has admitted writing "kitchen bitch" as the occupation of a Greymouth teenager on an infringement ticket he issued her.

Taliah Butters, 17, was issued with the notice in February, when she was stopped at Omoto, near Greymouth, for driving with unauthorised passengers.

After receiving the $400 fine, she "just threw it into the glove box".

She found it again when she cleaned out the car this week.

"I sat there and read it and when I saw what the cop had written under 'occupation', I just ran inside and told my Nan.

"I couldn't believe a cop would write anything like that," she told the Greymouth Star.

Ms Butters said that when she was stopped, the officer asked what her occupation was.

"I told him I was a kitchen hand and part-time chef. I never said I was a 'kitchen bitch'."

Tasman police district Superintendent Gary Knowles said yesterday he was treating the matter seriously.

"In fact, I have already spoken to the officer concerned, from Nelson, and he has admitted writing the words 'kitchen bitch' on the ticket, but according to him that is what she told him."

Ms Butters denied that yesterday. Mr Knowles said the officer did not act appropriately even if that was what she had told him.

- NZPA

- NZPA