I was in a row over a bus gate online…days later a police officer showed up at my house. Why aren’t they using resources to fight real crime?

A road scheme campaigner has accused police of allowing public debate to be ‘weaponised’ after an officer was sent to his home to grill him about an online spat with a rival activist.

Rory Comyn, 55, is opposed to a ‘bus gate’ that will stop cars from using a railway bridge on a busy route through Cambridge and has often locked horns verbally with a supporter, Matt WinterHolt.

But he was stunned and embarrassed when a constable turned up on his doorstep about alleged malicious communications including a homophobic slur.

Mr Comyn insisted he had never sworn at or insulted his rival and the alleged homophobia involved a comment posted by someone else who had accidentally used the surname Winterbottom.

As well as stifling freedom of speech, he complained that police should be using their scarce resources to fight real crime.

‘He [Mr WinterHolt] has weaponised words. It’s a vexatious claim,’ Mr Comyn said.

‘How ridiculous that public resources were used. While the police officer was talking to me about this he was listening in his ear and saying something major was happening up the road and I thought “Why are you here pushing a ridiculous political agenda?'”

Rory Comyn (pictured with his wife), 55, is opposed to a ‘bus gate’ that will stop cars from using a railway bridge on a busy route through Cambridge and has often locked horns verbally with a supporter, Matt WinterHolt

Mr WinterHolt, the social secretary for campaign group Mill Road 4 People, often argued with Mr Comyn

The furious debate over the Mill Road bus gate (pictured) – which will only allow buses, bikes, emergency services vehicles, taxis and blue badge holders through – has divided locals for several years

Mr WinterHolt, the social secretary for campaign group Mill Road 4 People, was approached for a comment.

The furious debate over the Mill Road bus gate – which will only allow buses, bikes, emergency services vehicles, taxis and blue badge holders through – has divided locals for several years.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras will be used to issue £70 fines to any unregistered cars that drive through.

Some living nearby say it will transform the bustling area, which is packed with shops, pubs and restaurants and make it more pleasant to visit, as well as cutting pollution from engines.

Opponents argue it will increase pollution by creating more congestion in nearby streets, while business owners have warned of catastrophic consequences from collapsing footfall.

Protesters also claim a public consultation – in which 52.9 per cent of people supported the Traffic Regulation Order – was not carried out properly.

Mr Comyn said most of the toing and froing by the rival groups took place on neighbourhood app Nextdoor.

His partner, carer Emma Rose, 45, is the claimant in the latest judicial review against the scheme which, he added, had made her the target of ‘constant attacks’.

Mr Comyn said he had had ‘a lot of back and forth with [Mr WinterHolt] over the years’, so he decided to block him on the app on February 25.

Mr Comyn said most of the toing and froing by the rival groups took place on neighbourhood app Nextdoor (pictured with his wife)

‘Three days later, there’s a knock at the door and it’s a policeman standing there and he said ‘Do you know Matt WinterHolt?’ he said.

‘I explained the situation and said I had never been disrespectful. One the platform, if there’s a problem you’re encouraged to resolve it with them or block them. This guy chose not to do that and instead built a dossier of hurtful words and went to the police with it.’

Handyman Mr Comyn added: ‘He asked to come in, which was tricky because I had family there and it was embarrassing. But neighbours could see this so eventually I said come in.

‘He explained there had been a complaint about harassment and that he [the complainant] had felt alarm and distress from some of these posts, at which point I burst out laughing and said ‘Can you show me where I’ve harassed or upset anybody or said anything unkind?’ He said he couldn’t do that.

‘He mentioned a homophobic comment where someone had misspelt his name and I said that wasn’t even me.

‘I think the penny was starting to drop at this point. He looked rather exasperated and then I said Emma is the complainant in the court case and he said ‘Ah, I see’ and the tone of the conversation changed.’

Mr Comyn admitted ‘hundreds’ of messages had been exchanged with Mr WinterHolt but he insisted: ‘I don’t even think I’ve called him an idiot and I 100 per cent have never used a swear word. I play the ball, not the man.’

Cambridgeshire County Council spent around £300,000 on a first attempt to impose the bus gate, including £72,000 on a legal challenge that it lost in court.

It then immediately relaunched the plan, which was passed by councillors in October last year – prompting the judicial review from Ms Rose on ground including a failure to take into account a petition conducted by Mill Road Traders’ Association. A hearing is expected in June.

He was stunned and embarrassed when a constable turned up on his doorstep about alleged malicious communications including a homophobic slur (pictured with wife)

But the council went ahead and installed the infrastructure for the bus gate without waiting for the outcome, with building costs coming to another £200,000.

Around 60 protesters spent several nights there in November, trying to disrupt work from taking place. And last week, vandals damaged the ANPR cameras with paint.

Penalty notices were due to start being issued from yesterday but cameras were disabled after workers were brought in to fix a burst water main.

Cambridgeshire Police has identified £5.5 million of cost savings for 2025-26 and is already looking for more.

A force spokesman said: ‘We have been contacted with reports of malicious communications online relating to a man in Cambridge.

‘Officers have spoken to the victim and another man about the allegations. An investigation is ongoing.’

Mr WinterHolt, an event co-ordinator at Cambridge University’s women-only Murray Edwards College, was given several opportunities to respond.

The bus gate is the latest in a number of road schemes that have attracted fury in Cambridge, including the introduction of extra bus lanes, pop-up bike lanes that reduce space for vehicles and complicated roundabouts that residents say caused congestion.