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'Get ready to die!' TV producer's shocking road rage rant against young family after M27 incident

WARNING: CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE

A producer behind many of Sir David Attenborough‘s best-known documentaries has been caught on camera yelling abuse at a family during a shocking road rage incident.

Former BBC wildlife producer and director Fergus Beeley told a family that “he wants them dead” after launching an angry tirade against them on Saturday.

Simon Gale, 33, who was driving the other car involved, said Mr Beeley flew into a “raving state” after both cars were forced to pull over at the side of the motorway.

In the video, Mr Beeley is heard calling them “w**ers”, and tells them to “get back in the car before you die”.

Beeley threatened the family with
Beeley repeatedly threatened the family with “citizen’s arrest” in the expletive-filled rant(SWNS)

Mr Beely accuses the family of “dangerous driving, abuse and assault” and tells them they “are under citizen’s arrest”.

Mr Gale, of Salisbury, Wiltshire, claims Beeley grabbed hold of him around the throat and “raised his fist in a threatening manner”.

He said: “It was quite a scary thing. He flew into an absolute raving state. When he got out the car he demanded, ‘Do you know who I am?’, and when I said I didn’t he grabbed me and pushed me against the car.”

Mr Gale added that it wasn’t until after police had shown up to mediate the incident, and insurance details had been exchanged, that the family saw Beeley’s name and realised who he was.

Fergus Beeley was caught launching the angry tirade on camera (SWNS)
Fergus Beeley was caught launching the angry tirade on camera (SWNS)

The flare-up happened at 11.30am on the M27, as Mr Gale was driving down to Portsmouth with his wife Louise, their 14-year-old son, and his mother-in-law.

Mr Gale said: “This car pulled across into our lane and hit our car — our whole car moved and we almost got knocked into the outside lane.

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“We pulled over to the side of the road and my wife got out of the car to exchange insurance details with this woman — I didn’t really think anything of it at the time.

“Then Fergus Beeley pulled up behind us in a different car and started screaming and shouting at us.”

Video footage of the incident, shot by Mr Gale’s mother-in-law, shows Beeley repeatedly screaming at the family that they are under citizen’s arrest.

Fergus Beeley worked on programmes such as Planet Earth (Getty)
Beeley worked on programmes such as Planet Earth (Getty)

Mr Gale said: “My son was so scared by it that he actually ended up sleeping in our room last night. He’s very shaken.

“Luckily none of us are harmed in any way – but we’re still quite shaken by it. We’re definitely going to be a bit more cautious from now on.”

Mr Beeley worked for the BBC between 1988 and 2007, acting as series producer on Plant Earth and a producer on The Life of Bird, both with Sir David Attenborough.

A spokesperson for Hampshire police said: “We were called to a non-injury road traffic collision on the M27 between junctions 5 and 7 at 11.30am on July 22.

(L-R) Simon Gale, Louise Gale, Joshua Gale who were involved in atheroad rage incident with Fergus Beeley (SWNS)
(L-R) Simon Gale, Louise Gale, Joshua Gale who were involved in the road rage incident with Fergus Beeley (SWNS)

“The incident involved a Mazda 3, a Peugeot 107 and a Skoda Octavia. When officers attended all parties had moved to the Sainsbury’s car park in Hedge End.

“A 32-year-old man from Southampton and a 54-year-old from Gloucestershire each made an allegation of common assault but neither party wanted to pursue the complaint.

“As a result, advice was given to both parties and they were told that two assaults will be recorded and filed.”