MANCHESTER United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has hit back at a top Midland policeman who said he would want Wayne Rooney “locked up” for his foul-mouthed TV rant.

Sir Alex accused Supt Mark Payne of “needing to be noticed” after his comments about the England striker.

Supt Payne, responsible for managing responses to crime and operations in Wolverhampton, claimed he would have expected his officers to have arrested Rooney had he replicated his four-letter outburst of last weekend on his patch.

Sir Alex said: “Everyone has an opinion. There is an issue in the modern world of a need to be noticed.

“There is a wee guy, sitting down there in the Midlands, probably never been recognised in his life, managed to elevate himself to whatever it is in the police force.”

He added: “Have you ever seen Wolverhampton on a Saturday night? Do police ever arrest anyone for swearing on a Saturday night? Dearie me. That is a good one.” Rooney was banned for two games by the Football Association for swearing into a camera after scoring against West Ham for United in a televised game.

Supt Payne, writing on his policing blog, said: “If Rooney had behaved like that in Wolverhampton on Saturday night, I would have expected my officers to lock him up.

“People in positions of influence have an obligation to behave like human beings. It is not a lot to ask.

“My officers will face more Rooneys over the weekend, no doubt somebody will be injured in some meaningless fight. An officer will have to tell a parent their son or daughter is in hospital as a result.”

But Blues boss Alex McLeish said he wasn’t surprised the FA had banned Rooney for two games.

“It doesn’t surprise me. I don’t really want to talk about someone else’s business,” he said.

“As soon as the media started talking about a ban, it was always going to happen.

“Players are still going to swear on the pitch. There is no doubt about it. But people would say there’s a time and place for it.”