A Chinese takeaway chef who was harvesting razor clams on a picturesque Fife beach burst into a fit of rage and swung his shovel at a local man who confronted him.
Bin Wang was fined £270 at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to behaving in a threatening and abusive manner.
Razor clam collecting has proved a flashpoint for local residents in the Kinghorn area and Wang’s outburst came as relations with villagers boiled over.
42-year-old father-of-two Wang had been digging for the shellfish on the beach at Pettycur Bay on May 6 2020 when he was approached and confronted by a local resident.
Wang was accused of clogging up the bustling beach with his excavations for the delicacy, commonly known as “scoots”.
The court heard when challenged, Wang, who lives in Newton Mearns and works in the Glasgow area, “became aggressive” and began to walk towards the local resident, “swinging his shovel while shouting in Chinese”.
The court was told these actions caused the resident “some degree of fear and alarm”.
When police arrived at the seaside hamlet, Wang was still present but was walking away.
When the chef spotted the officers, he threw his shovel into a neighbouring garden, where it was later found.
It is understood Wang thought he was being filmed when he was confronted.
He pled guilty to behaving in a threatening and abusive manner which was likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm.
He admitted shouting and behaving in a aggressive manner while in possession of a shovel.
Wang, who did not appear in court in person on Wednesday, was fined £270 by Sheriff Jamie Gilchrist.
Pettycur Bay has been subject to investigations in the past, with illicit shellfish rustling sparking slavery fears and animal welfare concerns.
In recent years, harvesters have routinely flocked to the Forthside beauty spot to excavate the tasty treasures buried in the sand.
Having become increasingly popular, razor clam harvesting has been restricted by law to a maximum of 30 clams per person per day.
