Alderman Carlton Simmons was spared a court appearance this morning after being told by police that he should have received a caution for a minor traffic offence.

The elected City Hall official and bar owner was pulled over by police officers on Queen Street in Hamilton yesterday afternoon and briefly taken into custody, before being bailed to attend Magistrates’ Court this morning.

He told The Royal Gazette: “I was arrested for missing a court date for a traffic offence.”

Mr Simmons said that though he attended court today, he was told before his name was called that an administrative error had led to the warrant and his arrest.

“I was in the court and I was pulled aside. I was simply told that the ticket was a caution. With cautions, it’s not a perfect system. Sometimes a copy makes its way to the courts, when it shouldn’t.”

The 37-year-old was apprehended by officers shortly before 4pm yesterday and told there was a warrant out for his arrest in relation to missing a court date for an alleged offence of using a hand-held device while driving.

“It’s unfortunate that these things happen,” he said. “Administrative errors like these cost people time like this every day and it’s something we should try to fix, then people like me and others won’t have to go through the embarrassing experience.”