A Glasgow private hire driver who left his vehicle in a bus lane has received a warning after giving a parking warden the middle finger.

Driver David Masterson said he had only popped into a premises in St Vincent Street for a few minutes to go to the toilet.

He parked his vehicle on a bus lane during the incident in June and ended up getting a ticket after dropping off a passenger.

Mr Masterson made a middle finger gesture at the council parking warden who was issuing the ticket and swore, a licensing committee heard today.

The warden lodged a complaint with the city’s taxi and private hire enforcement unit.

The committee heard Mr Masterson reacted in that way as the parking warden was “sarcastic” and “abrupt.”

Appearing before councillors sitting on the committee, Mr Masterson said: “I do apologise.”

He added: “At the time I was angry but now I’m angry with myself.”

Committee chair SNP Councillor Alex Wilson questioned why the driver who should be an “ambassador for the city” acted that way towards a parking attendant.

Councillor Wilson pointed out the parking attendants get “a fair amount of abuse for just trying to do their job in the city.”

He told the driver: “If someone is being sarcastic – it is something you should rise above.

“We have parking restrictions in the city for a reason. We have to adhere to that. That is how we get the city moving.”

Councillors sitting on the licensing committee issued Mr Masterson with a warning over failing to adhere to licence conditions.