A 62-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving in a mobility scooter and running over a shop assistant’s foot in Ipswich town centre.

The man is also being investigated over a complaint of being racially abusive to members of staff at the same store.

Police are understood to have been alerted by an Ipswich Borough Council CCTV operator at lunchtime on Wednesday.

They were concerned about a man who did not appear to be in control of a mobility scooter.

He was spotted in Tavern Street at around 12.30pm.

The suspect went into a mobile phone shop.

When police arrived it is understood he came out of the doorway of the store in his scooter intending to ride away.

Staff complained they had been racially abused.

The man’s scooter was stopped and he was questioned.

A roadside breath test was taken which indicated he was over the drink-drive limit.

The suspect was arrested on suspicion of three offences and taken to Suffolk Constabulary’s Martlesham police investigation centre where a further breath test was carried out.

His mobility scooter was said to have been taken to the police station in Museum Street.

Timothy Cracknell, a spokesman for Suffolk Constabulary, confirmed a 62-year-old man from the Ipswich area had been arrested.

He said the suspect was detained on suspicion of committing an offence under Section 4 of the Public Order Act involving allegations of racial abuse.

The man was also arrested on suspicion of drink-driving while being in charge of a carriage.

In addition he is suspected of common assault after a member of the mobile shop staff claimed his foot had been run over by the mobility scooter.

After being questioned by officers the suspect was released on bail, pending further enquiries.

He must return to the police investigation centre on December 3.