West Yorkshire Police has had to issue an apology after a controversial tweet shamed a homeless couple living out of a car.

Earlier today the Road Policing Unit tweeted a picture of the couple in Horbury Road, Wakefield, with all of their belongings after officers seized the uninsured vehicle yesterday.

The tweet by West Yorkshire Police's Road Policing Unit
The tweet by West Yorkshire Police's Road Policing Unit

The tweet was removed after the Examiner asked West Yorkshire Police for a comment, and an apology issued .

Our story sparked a heated debate on our Facebook page, and on Twitter, users were quick to criticise the officers involved.

Officers were blasted for the 'disgraceful' tweet
Officers were blasted for the 'disgraceful' tweet

Here's what Huddersfield had to say:

'Where is the compassion?'

Alison Ainley: "I understand no insurance, no car, as I would not be happy if they had been allowed to drive with no insurance, but where is the compassion from police? As if this couple aren't in a desperate state as it is."

Tori Harrison: "Seize the uninsured car by all means. Don't photograph the offenders and appear to mock them on a social network though."

Rebecca Cobb: "The hashtag was without warrant or validity and completely inappropriate."

Ivan Fawcett Gibson: "The story is the police publicly humiliating the poor people living out of their car. Not, that's NOT about the fact it was seized due to no insurance. That bit is irrelevant. "

Michael Baird: "The article mentions two lots of people who were living in their cars. That's just two that they know of. It shows a lot about the current climate in the UK that people are being forced into a situation where they have no choice but to live like this."

Jenine Lumb: "That's disgusting behaviour and so unprofessional."

'The couple were breaking the law'

Joe Taylor: "If the tweet is factual then it shows the police have a sense of humour. Nothing wrong with that if you ask me."

Nikki Hanson: "What the police have shown is that no matter what the circumstances are you can't break the law. The police were protecting each and every one of you when they seized that car."

James Ellis: "Car insurance is there for a reason and we all have to have it, this sends a clear message irrelevant of your situation if you drive a vehicle on a public road without insurance we will take it off you, end of!"

Mark Turner: "Same rule for the whole country, no insurance is illegal, get it off the road."

Michael Mannifield: "Why apologise? If they had just run over a child because they had no insurance would people be this wound up?"

Tracy Sutcliffe: "Wonder how many people criticising police would think the same if the UNINSURED driver had ran over a family member or bumped into their car?!"

So far, 82 per cent of readers said the tweet by police was out of order.

Do you agree? Vote in our poll:

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Was the tweet by police out of order?