Motorway Cops Catching Britain's Speeders S01E08
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00:00I'll show you how bad it looks, so on a 50 mile per hour stretch of road and just as
00:06we approach the solid whites, I'm actually gone.
00:12In Britain, we are addicted to speed.
00:15We're now over 90 miles per hour, you're overtaking, we're now over 100 miles an hour on a 50 mile
00:22per hour stretch of road with a police car behind you with blue lights on that you're
00:25not even seeing because you're going that fast.
00:27Which is absolutely ridiculous.
00:29Am I looking at a driving ban?
00:31I'll be honest, yes.
00:34Every year, around 86,000 people in the UK are banned from driving.
00:39What we missed.
00:48With deaths and serious injuries caused by accidents on our roads on the increase, it's
00:53no wonder that around a quarter of all UK vehicles now have dashcams fitted.
01:06And the great British public are capturing outrageous driving on camera.
01:14Across the country, motorway cops are relying more and more on the evidence of dashcams
01:19uploaded to them.
01:33In this series, conscious and breathing, being seen to by fire and ambulance, possible spinal
01:39injuries.
01:41We follow them.
01:47As they crack down on Britain's bad drivers.
01:52Tonight, we join them as they chase down the drug runners of Cheshire.
02:04Rescue a stranded van driver who's lost wheel in danger's life.
02:13And Inspector Anton Sullivan meets his match.
02:16I'll tell you what then, let's have a fight for the trader.
02:19I'll fight all of you.
02:20Right, OK.
02:21Briefing time.
02:22Sarge, it's Amy.
02:23Can you hear me?
02:24PC Amy Hollis is one of 90 police constables in Cheshire's Roads and Crime Unit.
02:38We used to have a mirror there, but it's gone.
02:41So now I've kind of got to get.
02:42I'm just used to having a symmetrical head, whereas Amy's is like a bit skewy.
02:46Whereas mine's nice and symmetrical, you know.
02:49Yeah.
02:50Streamline.
02:51Symmetrical, is that what they call it?
02:52Is that anything happening at the moment?
02:55Her boss is Inspector Anton Sullivan.
02:57And tonight, they're both working the Friday evening shift.
03:01I've got to grab my jacket because the weather's appalling out there today.
03:05To us, I enjoy working this shift.
03:07It tends to be the one where you get a right range of things.
03:10And because of the weather, I've already heard three accidents coming through on the radio.
03:14So the way things are shaping up this evening, it's going to start getting very busy, I suspect.
03:20Plan for the worst, hope for the best, and all that.
03:23In Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, Amy's following a trailer with broken lights,
03:27and the driver is not stopping for her.
03:30In Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, Amy's following a trailer with broken lights and the driver
03:41is not stopping for her.
03:44It's not stopping at the moment. It looks like there's four males off. Is there anyone in the area?
03:48Can you give me a hand?
03:50Yeah, that's understood. Thank you.
03:52Have we got a patrol to assist us?
03:54I'll call it down with the port, over.
03:56Yeah, it's Hull Sierra. I'm just on the 56. I'll turn at 12 and come back to the port to help.
04:03I'm probably closest, so hopefully we'll get there quite quickly.
04:07I'm obviously not going to be able to go as fast as I'd like because the weather is appalling.
04:14Yes, it just stops now, pulling over. Received.
04:19The defective trailer stops in a cul-de-sac.
04:22And he's talking to whoever was the driver about the state of the vehicle.
04:26Then the driver disappears into one of the houses.
04:29Where's your friend gone?
04:34There you go, my colleague's here now.
04:36Anton arrives to give Amy backup.
04:40Do you mind if I come in and have a look?
04:42Look, at least you're cooperating.
04:46Yeah, I appreciate it.
04:48Nice house, is he?
04:51The house search is a dead end.
04:53Thanks very much.
05:00I don't know where he'd have gone. Check the gardens.
05:03Yeah, yeah.
05:06With the driver nowhere to be seen, the car and trailer are seized.
05:10And the job appears to be over.
05:13So, whose is the trailer?
05:16Right, and who was that?
05:19It doesn't mean you don't know who the driver is, it's just because you're an apprentice.
05:25No matter how long I've been doing this job, you never know what's going to happen,
05:28even when you think you've got a situation completely in hand.
05:32For the police, no jobs are predictable.
05:35Police were called to a tailback on the M62,
05:38only to find that the cause wasn't a vehicle, it was an escaped dog.
05:45In Suffolk, officers went in search of an erratic driver,
05:49but were met head-on by the vehicle,
05:51as the drunk driver drove the wrong way down the dual carriageway.
05:54The 46-year-old driver was later jailed.
05:59And in Ipswich, this shocking case of a drunk driver
06:03And in Ipswich, this shocking footage
06:06shows a male suspected of driving with false number plates.
06:09As the officer tried to make inquiries, the driver knocked her to the floor,
06:13before ramming the barrier and making a getaway,
06:16leaving a trail of debris behind him.
06:19He was later arrested and sentenced to two years in jail.
06:24This car doesn't belong to you or anything, does it?
06:28So what are you taking stuff out of it for?
06:30If it's nothing to do with you, leave it, please.
06:33Back in Cheshire, Inspector Anton Sullivan and PC Amy Hollis
06:37have impounded a car and trailer and are waiting for the recovery truck.
06:41You all right? Yeah.
06:44Do you have proof of ownership of the trailer?
06:46Yeah, I've got... Well, it's my trailer.
06:48OK, but anyone can say it's their trailer.
06:50I've got a picture of it on the job, like...
06:52At the moment, the person driving that vehicle has ran off from the police,
06:55was seizing the vehicle, and because the trailer's attached to it,
06:58was seizing the whole lot. And there's the trailer there.
07:01And that was stuck in August last year.
07:03The thing is, that could be any other trailer.
07:05That doesn't create a chance.
07:07At the moment, it's going to be getting seized with the car.
07:09That trailer's not getting seized, I'm telling you. It is.
07:11No, it's not. You are not telling us what...
07:13I'm not taking that trailer. No, you're not taking anything.
07:15That's my trailer. You're not taking it.
07:17No, you can't prove it's your trailer.
07:19Don't shout at me. Don't shout at me.
07:21They're telling me I'm not taking my property.
07:23This is my trailer.
07:25You can't prove that. Who are you talking to, mate?
07:27Who are you talking to?
07:29Don't speak to me like I'm a fool.
07:41While Britain's police forces
07:43employ around 7,000 speed cameras
07:45to help them police the roads,
07:47it's estimated the British public
07:49have installed nearly 10 million dash cameras.
07:53They are capturing evidence
07:55of our mad, bad
07:57and dangerous driving.
07:59Now, with this catalogue of calamities,
08:01the public are working with the police
08:03like never before.
08:05Whoa!
08:07Nearly 90 videos a day
08:09are sent to the police,
08:11with one in four
08:13leading to a successful prosecution.
08:15You all right there? Yeah.
08:17It's all right. I've got it all on video. Have you? Yeah.
08:19I can't believe that.
08:21In Cheshire,
08:23PC Amy Hollis has followed
08:25a car and trailer with faulty lights
08:27to a cul-de-sac.
08:29The driver's gone missing,
08:31and Amy is seizing the vehicle.
08:33That's my trailer.
08:35Do you have proof of ownership of the trailer?
08:37Yeah, I've got... Well, it's my trailer.
08:39Just when they thought everything was resolved,
08:41a man arrived, claiming to own the trailer.
08:43I'll let you know how you can get the trailer back.
08:45I'll tell you what, I'm going to block the road here now.
08:47If you do that, you'll be arrested.
08:49If you do that, you're going to find yourself under arrest.
08:51What for? What are you going to arrest me for?
08:53Obstructing the police.
08:55You're not obstructing me, that's my work, mate.
08:57OK, fair enough. So it works both ways, don't it?
08:59No, you're obstructing the police. I'm blocking the road now.
09:01If you do that, you're committing...
09:03Yeah, you are. Because I'm going to leave
09:05the van in the middle of the road.
09:07Well, we'll seize the van as well then.
09:09I'm taking the trailer, mate. No, you're not.
09:11I'll tell you what then, let's have a fight for the trailer.
09:13I'll fight all of you.
09:15Right, OK.
09:17Have you got the trailer?
09:19Has he gone?
09:21If he starts blocking the road
09:23or doing anything, just lock him up
09:25for obstruction.
09:27I'm just in the middle of World War III.
09:29After 15 minutes,
09:31the man claiming to own the trailer
09:33returns.
09:35The issue is, this is my trailer.
09:37Do you know what I mean?
09:39But we may have to forensically examine
09:41the front of it, if it's been stolen.
09:43Do you think I'd be standing here if it was stolen?
09:45Do you think I'm that sick, like?
09:47No, but we've got a duty to make sure that when we're giving people
09:49property back, we're giving it back to the right person.
09:51And somebody yelling and shouting at us
09:53doesn't necessarily make that so.
09:57Obviously, he's finally
09:59accepted that we have
10:01a legal power to
10:03take the trailer and the car.
10:05So, he's going to contact
10:07the officer at a later date.
10:09And if he can prove he owns the trailer, he'll get it back.
10:11It's as simple as that.
10:13I don't know if people think that
10:15by threatening, shouting,
10:17putting mobile phones in your face,
10:19it's going to make you do
10:21anything different.
10:23It doesn't.
10:25We'll still do what we have to do.
10:27I'll just wait.
10:29We'll just wait until it all gets recovered.
10:39Britain's roads
10:41are constantly expanding.
10:43And as the roads have evolved,
10:45so have the police.
10:47It was with the creation
10:49of motorways in the 1950s
10:51that most regional police forces
10:53set up dedicated traffic units.
10:55PC Ian Cosgrove
10:57has been in Cheshire's
10:59Roads and Crime Unit for just over a year.
11:01All the artwork
11:03that my daughter brings home from school,
11:05only the best make the gallery.
11:07I like Moody Cat.
11:09I wouldn't call it Moody Cat,
11:11but I think the eyes look quite moody.
11:13Reminds me of her mother, but...
11:19A traffic officer's
11:21best friend's traffic offence report book.
11:23There's hundreds and hundreds
11:25of different offences.
11:27For example, speeding.
11:29There's up to about 20 codes just for that.
11:31It's only been a year, so I'm slowly learning.
11:39Well, I've got your massive
11:41wooden post hanging out of someone's car.
11:45Hey, sir!
11:47Do you know why?
11:51What's that sport used to do?
11:53Red Leap at times.
11:55Yeah, with the horses.
11:57Jousting, yeah. I've got the vehicle
11:59here playing jousting, so that's why we turn around
12:01to stop and take someone out.
12:03Ian now has to decide
12:05what to charge the man with.
12:09Sometimes the offence
12:11isn't that obvious, but
12:13we're always looking to educate someone
12:15rather than punish.
12:17You're going to get a ticket for
12:19a dangerous load.
12:21And the reason we're doing this one is because
12:23you can have a course for this, where the other ones
12:25you can't have a course, it'll just be straight points.
12:27So the gentleman's just gone
12:29to drop his car off and we're just
12:31babysitting his wood for him
12:33so he doesn't get nicked.
12:35So he's going to have to carry it a bit like the Chuckle Brothers,
12:37we won't help him with that, he can carry it on by himself.
12:41Sorted.
12:43The danger of
12:45unsafe loads is a growing
12:47problem. In 2020
12:49more than 24,000
12:51drivers were involved in incidents
12:53involving vehicles with unsafe loads.
12:57And when debris
12:59falls, it causes chaos
13:01on our roads. In this shocking
13:03footage, a meat lorry tipped over
13:05on the A14 in Ipswich.
13:07As the lorry was left dramatically
13:09hanging over the edge of the bridge,
13:11it shed debris onto the cars on the road below.
13:15Amazingly, only two cars
13:17were damaged, and one driver
13:19suffered minor injuries.
13:21The lorry driver was given
13:23a six-month driving ban.
13:27Back in Cheshire, there's an emergency
13:29on the M6.
13:35A vehicle has come bouncing over from the southbound
13:37carriageway and hit
13:39the centre of the chateau in Silver.
13:43Ian is responding to reports of a car
13:45colliding with a loose wheel.
13:47I think a vehicle
13:49has lost its front tyre,
13:51which has gone
13:53over the central reservation
13:55onto the northbound carriageway.
13:57As Ian approaches the scene,
13:59a colleague is already with
14:01the damaged car on the opposite carriageway.
14:03There is a Citroen Picasso
14:05which looks to have nearside bump
14:07on the damage.
14:09I'll get my clipboard.
14:13The live lane has been closed off.
14:15You don't stay in that lane!
14:19It's a Red X,
14:21probably half a mile down.
14:23We've driven all the way down. If it's a Red X, you don't go in.
14:25It just drives me mad, because this needs to be a sterile
14:27area, so that's why I just shouted at him.
14:29So Ian focuses his attention
14:31on the stranded van
14:33whose wheel caused the damage.
14:35We can see how bad that is.
14:37Wheel's completely gone.
14:39Wheel's on the other carriageway.
14:41We'll speak to the driver now and get his account.
14:47So you've been going down here in lane one
14:49and you've heard a noise.
14:51Has the wheel overtaken you?
14:53Yeah.
14:55Scary.
14:57It shook me up.
14:59Seeing the wheel
15:01go over the central reservation
15:03was the worst.
15:05Despite the wheel crossing the central reservation
15:07and rolling into oncoming traffic,
15:09no one was injured.
15:15From the noise,
15:17how long did it take?
15:23I'd say about 10 minutes.
15:25It just felt like it was almost rubbing.
15:27Right, yeah.
15:33Ian takes the driver off the motorway
15:35and will need to decide what action
15:37to take.
15:41Tyre problems account for
15:4320% of all motorway
15:45breakdowns.
15:49The higher speeds combined with
15:51underinflation can cause blowouts.
15:53But when the wheels come off,
15:55there is even more danger.
15:59On the A1 near Peterborough,
16:01a pickup truck is driving at 50mph
16:03when it loses its wheel.
16:05As the truck hits the kerb,
16:07another wheel comes off
16:09and the truck crashes into the bushes.
16:11Luckily, both wheels come to a gentle rest
16:13and no one is injured.
16:19Something's gone wrong here, hasn't it?
16:21This tyre's fallen off.
16:23PC Ian Cosgrove
16:25has to decide what action to take
16:27against the man whose wheel crossed the M6's
16:29central reservation into oncoming traffic.
16:33There are times that we can give people the benefit of the doubt,
16:35but if it's an incident that
16:37could have been life-threatening,
16:39then as a police officer we've got a duty
16:41to enforce that.
16:45You've told me when you've been driving,
16:47you've heard a
16:49noise about 10 minutes
16:51prior to the wheel falling off.
16:53When you've been driving down,
16:55can you remember
16:57any of the bays?
17:01Possibly.
17:03Have you gone past a junction?
17:05Possibly 18, I think.
17:07It's with you saying
17:09that it's been like 10 minutes
17:11in that time,
17:13you needed to have stopped.
17:17So what's going to happen today
17:19is a ticket for
17:21a vehicle
17:23likely to cause,
17:25a vehicle in condition likely to cause
17:27danger.
17:35When we stop someone
17:37and point out to them
17:39what they're doing,
17:41hindsight is a beautiful thing.
17:43You're never surprised
17:45when you see drivers doing.
17:47People just chance it,
17:49think, oh that'll be alright.
17:51Keeps everything exciting.
17:53Fresh for us.
17:59It's mid-afternoon,
18:01and Inspector Anton Sullivan is on patrol
18:03near Manchester Airport.
18:05Some days you can't predict
18:07how things are going to turn out.
18:09You can go and deal with an incident,
18:11think you've got it in hand,
18:13you know what you're doing,
18:15you've got to deal with something
18:17that just throws it all in the air
18:19and you have to go back and start again.
18:21So you're constantly thinking on your feet,
18:23but sometimes you've got to make some
18:25very important decisions
18:27very, very quickly.
18:29Because it can be quite a risky environment
18:31to work in.
18:34I need to pass you over an RTC, please.
18:36It's outside the NatWest Bank
18:38on Grove Street in Wilmslow.
18:40We've got a 16-year-old female.
18:42She's been hit by a vehicle.
18:44Was it Grove Street, Wilmslow?
18:46I'm just making from there nearby.
18:48Yeah, I believe it is.
18:50Right, so we're just going to
18:52a collision that's occurred
18:54in Wilmslow between a car
18:56and a 16-year-old girl.
18:58But that combination of situations
19:00can lead to it being actually quite serious.
19:03You know, children at the end of the day
19:05do not come off well when they're hit by cars.
19:07Well, pedestrians don't full stop,
19:09but children are particularly vulnerable.
19:11You know, the injuries could potentially
19:13be life-changing or,
19:15worst-case scenario, life-threatening.
19:18It's vital Anton gets to the scene
19:20as soon as he can.
19:22But first, he has to fight his way
19:24through the rush-hour traffic.
19:28Your mirrors are full.
19:31See, cars are pulling over,
19:33and other cars are trying to overtake the cars
19:35that are pulling over for me.
19:38Less than a mile away.
19:42Thankfully, the traffic clears,
19:44allowing Anton to get to the scene.
19:52Hotel Sierra, show me on scene.
20:01In 2020,
20:0324% of the casualties
20:05on UK roads were pedestrians.
20:08Flipping hell!
20:10A woman in the middle of the road,
20:12she was nearly killed.
20:14But dashcam footage shows
20:16that often motorists and pedestrians
20:18can be at fault.
20:22And sometimes it's more luck
20:24than judgement that saves us from accidents.
20:27In Dorset, police released
20:29this incredible footage
20:31to raise awareness of dangers
20:33involving pedestrians and motorists.
20:40Amazingly, in this case,
20:42the child was OK,
20:44but only by a matter of seconds.
20:49Back in Cheshire,
20:51Inspector Anton Sullivan
20:53has been called to a serious collision
20:55between a car and a 16-year-old girl.
20:57So this girl here, 16-year-old,
20:59she's crossing the road to get into her dad's car.
21:01As a result, she's just got off the bus.
21:03And this car down here, the Ford car,
21:05has come driving down, and it's hit her.
21:07Is this black one here?
21:09OK, the driver, who's just over here,
21:11has just got injured to her head.
21:13OK, and who's the driver?
21:15The lady.
21:19Luckily, the first officers on the scene
21:21were firearms officers,
21:23who have advanced medical training
21:25and have assessed the victim,
21:27but Anton is concerned that she needs immediate treatment.
21:31Did you lose consciousness at all?
21:33You didn't feel sick or anything like that?
21:35Yeah, this RTC on Grove Street,
21:37she has got a head injury.
21:39I'm just concerned we get her medical help
21:41sooner rather than later, if you could let them know.
21:49Where are you going?
21:51Yeah.
21:53Many of us rely themselves on being good drivers.
21:59The dashcam reveals the uncomfortable truth.
22:01What a clown!
22:05After passing the theory test and the practical test,
22:07many of us then fail the reality test.
22:11Whether it's stopping distances,
22:13giving way at roundabouts...
22:15You're stupid!
22:19...or checking both ways at junctions...
22:24With 70% of British drivers
22:26admitting to being unable to answer questions
22:28from the highway code,
22:30it's not just a case that some of us are driving
22:32on the wrong side of the law,
22:34but also on the wrong side of the road.
22:40In Cheshire, Inspector Anton Sullivan
22:42is on his way to a serious collision
22:44between a car and a 16-year-old girl.
22:47Children, at the end of the day,
22:49do not come off well when they're hit by cars.
22:51You know, the injuries could potentially be life-changing
22:53or, worst-case scenario, life-threatening.
22:59The girl has a head injury,
23:01so is in need of emergency medical treatment.
23:03The victim's father was a witness.
23:05Basically stepped out, and this car just hit her,
23:07and she just flew in the air.
23:09It's all I really can remember.
23:11No, not mine.
23:13Very high. Didn't do better to be conscious, did it?
23:15No.
23:17I just saw the incident itself just kind of going in the air.
23:19She's actually got a scar on her head.
23:23Just wondering if it might be more comfortable
23:25to sit in your car or something like that.
23:27Yeah.
23:29Or even sit on the bench, if you want.
23:31You all right? Yeah.
23:33It's rush hour, and the ambulance
23:35is struggling to get to the scene,
23:37and Anton is concerned that the victim
23:39needs treatment urgently.
23:41If we wait too long before she's seen medically,
23:43that might induce other complications,
23:45and I'd rather not take the choice.
23:47As the officers have checked with you,
23:49you don't have any pain to your spine, your legs,
23:51no tingling, numbness.
23:53What I'm going to suggest is,
23:55given how Hannah is now,
23:57that it might be easier and safer
23:59for you to take her to Mac A&E
24:01so at least you can get treatment.
24:03I've given them all the information,
24:05so when you get there, they should then
24:07triage her, as they would any walk-in,
24:09but then clearly
24:11deal with this sooner rather than later.
24:13Are you comfortable doing this as a plan?
24:15Like I said, you're the parent,
24:17so it's not the way I'd like to do things,
24:19but I just think it's probably best all round.
24:21Anything changes in her condition,
24:23she gets drowsy, starts changing...
24:25Well, just stop.
24:27Stop where you are.
24:29999, and we'll come to you.
24:31With the casualty on her way to hospital,
24:33Anton can turn his attention
24:35to the vehicle involved.
24:37Just looking at the impact damage
24:39on the car, I mean, fortunately,
24:41it appears the car was travelling
24:43when it hit her. She stepped out
24:45to the road.
24:47They've had a coming together,
24:49and the young girl has clearly hit the car
24:51with enough force from what witnesses
24:53are saying to throw her in the air, and you can see
24:55the damage to the windscreen that has happened.
24:57As she's hit the car,
24:59her body has hit this bit,
25:01and then her head has impacted off here,
25:03which is what's caused the injury.
25:05Now,
25:07this has given way a little bit, but you can imagine
25:09if it hits the metal, or this car
25:11had been travelling 5, 10 miles an hour
25:13faster, the impact
25:15of that collision would have been
25:17far more serious, there's no doubt about it.
25:19She's a very lucky girl.
25:25It turns out
25:27the driver and passenger
25:29were on a first date.
25:31And she's only been driving two months.
25:33So she's had her first crash,
25:35and her first date's ruined.
25:37I think it's ended, because he's gone that way,
25:39and she's gone that way.
25:41Where did they say he'd gone for dinner?
25:43To Sainsbury's, for a meal deal.
25:45So, it's a first date, and he takes her to Sainsbury's
25:47for a meal deal.
25:49Maybe one date's all she needed with him.
25:51If that's where he's going to take her, it can only get better from there.
25:53Sainsbury's for a meal deal.
25:55It's quite a good speech, though, isn't it, for the wedding?
25:57I suppose it's easier for me
25:59to put myself in the parent's position.
26:01You maybe empathise with how the parents are going to feel.
26:03You know, because you think, if that was my child,
26:05how would I feel?
26:07You know, when my lad's going out
26:09and crossing the road,
26:11and he's got his ear pods in,
26:13and that's just the way of the world now.
26:15Everybody's walking around,
26:17either on the phone or listening to stuff.
26:19They are not conscious of traffic
26:21around them,
26:23just as often distracted drivers
26:25aren't conscious of the pedestrians around them.
26:27And when the two come together
26:29in a collision,
26:31the outcome isn't always as fortunate.
26:33It has been in this case.
26:37When it comes to policing Britain's roads,
26:39there is a need for speed.
26:43But it's not just about the cars.
26:45All of Cheshire's Roads and Crime Unit
26:47have undergone up to 13 weeks
26:49of driver training.
26:51For our role in the police,
26:53I think we're all going to be,
26:55if we're ourselves, a bit of an adrenaline junkie,
26:57because if we don't do our job,
26:59we're not going to get anywhere.
27:01We're not going to get anywhere.
27:03We're not going to get anywhere.
27:05I think we're all going to be,
27:07if we're ourselves, a bit of an adrenaline junkie,
27:09because if you weren't,
27:11then you wouldn't want to go at the speed we do.
27:13But you don't want to have a bump
27:15at 150 miles per hour.
27:17For PC Ian Cosgrove,
27:19Cheshire's Road and Crime Unit
27:21is his dream job.
27:23We'd all be lying if we didn't say
27:25it wasn't fun to be driving
27:27quickly with the blue lights on,
27:29because that's what you did
27:31when you were a toddler
27:34Yeah, neither are we.
27:48When there is a report of debris on the motorway,
27:50it's a top priority.
28:00On the M62 in Yorkshire,
28:02a police officer acted quickly
28:04to recover a car engine
28:06from the middle of the carriageway following a crash.
28:08Debris comes in
28:10all shapes and sizes.
28:12Each year,
28:14around 200,000 sacks of litter
28:16are removed from the motorways of England,
28:18costing millions of pounds.
28:20But the cost of loose debris
28:22can be even greater to road users.
28:24Back on the M6,
28:26PC Ian Cosgrove
28:28is one of three officers
28:30responding to an emergency call
28:32to remove debris following a collision.
28:34Basically, with debris in the road,
28:36it's a blue light run.
28:38We need to get there as soon as possible,
28:40especially when it's peak time.
28:42People are going 70, 80 miles per hour.
28:44They don't expect to have a bumper in lane three.
28:46That's when people start swerving for it
28:48or going over it,
28:50causing damage to their own vehicles,
28:52causing another accident.
28:58Carriageway cleared.
29:00You can close the job.
29:02Debris before we got there,
29:04he's cleared it.
29:06Bye.
29:08That's all we see.
29:10Thankfully, one of the officers
29:12has been able to clear the debris
29:14and remove the danger.
29:16But Ian spotted
29:18another hazard on the motorway.
29:20So he's just been in the 50s.
29:22He's still texting now.
29:24He's still texting now.
29:28He should be on me sometime.
29:32So we'll get him off
29:34and he'll be getting
29:36strong words of advice and a ticket.
29:40Now I've put the follow me on.
29:42He's slowed right down like they normally do
29:44to 40 miles per hour.
29:46That's the minimum speed you can do on the motorway.
29:48But I'd rather get him off
29:50following me at 40
29:52than risk it driving
29:54for God knows how long.
29:56Texting.
30:00That was it.
30:02The van driver has ignored the sign
30:04and stayed on the motorway.
30:06So he hasn't followed us off.
30:08So we'll just catch him off.
30:18Could it be that
30:20he's engrossed on Candy Crush?
30:22That he's not seen the big sign
30:24saying follow me and red flashing in his light.
30:26But we will ask
30:28the question if he hopefully
30:30when he comes off at the next junction.
30:32You never know.
30:34Right, he's indicating this time.
30:38He's come off this time.
30:40Hello sir.
30:42Sorry, I don't know what I did wrong.
30:44Are you on your phone?
30:46I was just checking the GPS.
30:48We've been travelling.
30:50All the boards were saying 50 weren't they?
30:52Debris in the road.
30:54And you're there with your phone in your hand driving.
30:56You cannot drive
30:58with your phone in your hand.
31:00End of. You can't do it.
31:02Those lorries weren't braking and you weren't looking.
31:04So, and then
31:06you've not even come off.
31:08Why did you not come off?
31:10I'm from South Africa.
31:12In South Africa this kind of thing needs to be checked.
31:14We'll just take that as education.
31:16So, we'll take some details from you
31:18and have a chat with you anyway.
31:22Doesn't matter what you're in
31:24if you're on your phone.
31:38I appreciate that.
31:40Have you got the highway code?
31:42It's probably worth reading that.
31:44It's not the most thrilling of reads
31:46but it'll give you
31:48a better idea of what the rules
31:50and regulations of the road are.
31:52Enjoy the rest of your day.
31:54Take care.
32:00Making Britain's roads safe
32:02means keeping them clear.
32:04In 2020
32:06nearly 5,000 items a month
32:08were found on our motorways
32:10and roads.
32:12The reason why I stopped you
32:14is that mixer there, it's not tied in.
32:16Not strapped on.
32:18In Cheshire
32:20PC Andy Doran is on patrol.
32:22It's not top heavy though.
32:24It shouldn't point away.
32:26The word is shouldn't but could.
32:28Amongst the most common items of debris
32:30found are construction materials.
32:32See this thing here?
32:34If you go over a speed bump
32:36or a pothole
32:38it's guilty stopping that falling out the back, is there?
32:40So why don't you just collapse it
32:42and put it down, yeah?
32:44Debris is a concern of mine.
32:46We have lots of debris.
32:48A lot is flatbeds or open back vehicles.
32:50Anything can come loose.
32:52It's unbelievable.
32:54And it's not just the visible items
32:56being transported that are a concern for Andy.
32:58It's the hidden ones as well.
33:04M8, can you hear me?
33:06Earlier observations were a black Mazda TX5.
33:10Possible quantity of Delta Romeo on board.
33:14A vehicle
33:16suspected of carrying a large quantity of drugs
33:18is travelling behind Andy.
33:20He pulls off at the next junction
33:22and hides on the slip road
33:24that rejoins the motorway.
33:26Yeah, I'm currently 17 northbound waiting.
33:28I've not seen it as yet.
33:32When there's a vehicle waiting with intel
33:34I'm apprehensive.
33:36I don't want it to pass without me seeing it.
33:38And that is really a skill
33:40within itself.
33:42What was that thing?
33:44The adrenaline pumping.
33:48There he is.
33:56Hotel Uniform 75.
33:58I think it's passed.
34:00I'm just going to play catch up.
34:05Yeah, I see him.
34:07I think it's four vehicles ahead of me in lane four.
34:09I just need to confirm their edge.
34:13Let's get a little bit closer.
34:15I've got to be very careful now.
34:17I don't want the vehicle to see me.
34:20That's the one.
34:23Yeah, Hotel Uniform 75.
34:25The vehicle is the one I've sighted.
34:28Stopping vehicles linked to drug crime
34:30can be unpredictable.
34:34You don't know what's in that car,
34:36who those people are and what they've got to lose.
34:39There's been a 13% increase
34:41in drug-related offences in 2021
34:43compared to the previous year.
34:45And in Cambridge,
34:47this man was so desperate to escape the police
34:49he left his car and took to running.
34:53After a 120 mph pursuit
34:55in the West Midlands,
34:57these drug dealers tried to get rid of the evidence,
34:59littering the hard shoulder
35:01with an estimated
35:03£130,000 worth of heroin.
35:05The driver received
35:07a 15-month prison sentence
35:09and the passenger was jailed for five years.
35:14Back in Cheshire,
35:16PC Andy Doran has followed the target car
35:18off the M6.
35:20Do we know when he's on board this vehicle?
35:22It's going to be the one now.
35:24No warning.
35:26Don't expect us to stop
35:28as of previous.
35:30The car is suspected
35:32of carrying drugs.
35:38Vehicle stopping has been requested.
35:40Andy is on his own,
35:42so he has to act quickly.
35:44Hey, I managed to switch your engine off, pal.
35:48OK, I'm going to put the handcuffs on you.
35:50I can smell cannabis.
35:58Statistics show
36:00that, unlike everything in Britain,
36:02the weather and the seasons
36:04affect our driving.
36:06In winter,
36:08there's slippy snow.
36:14And high winds
36:16hit the high-sided.
36:18In summer,
36:20we go on hazardous holidays.
36:24And for deer, days out.
36:26But come rain or shine,
36:28crash cams never stop.
36:38There he is.
36:42In Cheshire,
36:44PC Andy Doran is following a car
36:46suspected of trafficking drugs.
36:48That's the one.
36:50He's pulled it over
36:52and now has to search
36:54and question the offender.
36:56OK, the reason why I stopped you
36:58is that this vehicle may contain drugs.
37:00Do you have any drugs on you, mate?
37:02None in the vehicle?
37:04OK, I'm going to put the handcuffs on you.
37:06I can smell cannabis.
37:08Or is it tobacco?
37:10Step out of the vehicle for us, mate.
37:12Is there any drugs whatsoever in this vehicle?
37:14OK, we'll be searched.
37:16Where have you been to, mate?
37:18I've been to pick up a barbecue.
37:20OK, so have you actually opened it?
37:22No, I've not looked in it.
37:24How was it advertised?
37:26You should have that on your phone, will you?
37:28To show an advert?
37:30No? Nothing at all?
37:32I'm just going to put you in the back of the car
37:34for a second, mate, because I've just checked you
37:36and there's nothing on you.
37:38Where's the barbecue in relation
37:40to your vehicle, pal?
37:42It's on the back seat.
37:44It's on the back seat, is it?
37:46I don't feel heavy enough
37:48to have a barbecue in there.
37:54There you go.
37:56One, two,
37:58three, four
38:00sealed bags of cannabis, I believe,
38:02because of the smell.
38:04The cannabis has an estimated
38:06street value of
38:08£46,000.
38:10I'm arresting you on suspicion
38:12of possession with intent to supply
38:14cannabis. Do you understand that?
38:16Yeah, but I don't understand...
38:18I don't understand that.
38:20I bought a barbecue.
38:24I'm happy to look at the car now
38:26and we'll seize the drugs from within.
38:28While searching the car,
38:30Andy found something unexpected
38:32in the boot.
38:34Hey-up, pal.
38:36Is your dog friendly, mate?
38:38Yeah, yeah. Don't let him out, though.
38:40Before taking the man to custody,
38:42Andy lets him take care of his dog.
38:44Oh, it's just a head.
38:46It's just a head.
38:48It's just a head.
38:50It's just a head.
38:52It's just a head.
38:54It's OK. It's OK, mate.
38:56OK, mate, we'll take you off now.
38:58Are you taking the dog now? No, no, the dog stays with the car.
39:00They believe the garage will sort the dog out.
39:08I get a lot of satisfaction from
39:10taking criminals off the road.
39:12They have to be lucky every time they
39:14commit criminality.
39:16We just have to be lucky once.
39:18Will they be out today?
39:20I've no idea, mate.
39:32Being the head of the Cheshire Road and Crime Unit
39:34brings great responsibility.
39:36Well, I can't tell others for not doing it.
39:38I don't do it myself, so
39:40it's about making sure
39:42I don't get accused of being a hypocrite.
39:44Leading by example
39:46for Inspector Anton Sullivan
39:48means doing basic
39:50car health checks.
39:52Right, the beast has been looked after.
39:54As well as checking that
39:56all the emergency equipment is on board.
39:58We've got a cone missing there.
40:04That could have caused me
40:06real stress at the next job.
40:08Today,
40:10Anton's office will be the M6.
40:12I don't enjoy
40:14managing
40:16the administration task for the unit.
40:18It comes with the job,
40:20but it's nice to get out here.
40:22Because it's for a change, I can be a proper cop.
40:30It's an emergency.
40:32There's been a smash on the motorway on the M6.
40:34Two cars and a HGV. One car's in the middle of the motorway.
40:36The bad way.
40:38Hotel Sierra Zero One.
40:40Any injuries reported?
40:42One passenger's got a leg injury.
40:44This is a more extensive moment.
40:50The difficult bit is always
40:52getting to the scene as quickly as we possibly can.
40:54It's rush hour
40:56and you've got poor weather.
40:58It's going to be a long old battle, this is.
41:02Red crosses are put on the overhead motorway signs
41:04above lane one, closing the lane
41:06so Anton can get there faster.
41:10The Red X has been here for miles
41:12and everybody
41:14is still in this lane
41:16and every one of these people
41:18is committing an offence.
41:22Go, breathe in.
41:24Anton has to navigate his way
41:26through a maze of slow-moving obstacles.
41:28Squeeze through.
41:30Breathe in.
41:32Yes, go.
41:40He'll have to force his way down
41:42the outside shoulder instead, unfortunately.
41:44He'll have to go to plan B.
41:48The last resort for Anton
41:50is to drive down the motorway gutter.
41:52We've made it.
41:56It has taken Anton 36 minutes
41:58to travel just 10 miles.
42:02The Black car has clipped the wagon.
42:04The Black car has gone spinning out of control
42:06and we need to side-swipe that chap.
42:08Right, so it all starts with the Black.
42:10With the Black car, apparently, yeah.
42:12Obviously, every versus car
42:14is only going to be one winner.
42:16Okay, who's the lorry driver?
42:18What language do you speak?
42:20Belgian.
42:22Will I speak French?
42:24Bulgarian.
42:26Bulgarian.
42:28All right. I just came to see if there was a language I spoke
42:30that might have helped, but obviously not.
42:32I don't speak Hungarian, unfortunately.
42:34All right. Okay, thanks.
42:36Cheers, mate.
42:38Do I have to move those cones?
42:40The cones are moved
42:42from blocking the motorway
42:44to cordon off lane one.
42:46We've effectively created a hard shoulder here,
42:48so hopefully the backlog will clear
42:50quite quickly.
42:52But you can see the vehicles
42:54ahead are moving back into lane one,
42:56but the red X is still there,
42:58so they're completely ignoring it.
43:04With no major injuries, the witnesses' statements
43:06are taken, and Anton's attention
43:08turns to clearing the scene.
43:12No, so none of these cones
43:14are ours. Mine are safe and dry
43:16in the boot where they belong.
43:18So...
43:20But just as well I counted them before I came out,
43:22I'd have had 12 cones I could have laid out
43:24in a nice pretty line.
43:26Because there is an art to it, you know.
43:28You have to learn how to lay cones.
43:30It's not just a case of throwing them out.
43:32Just get the last vehicle recovered,
43:34and the motorway will be like
43:36nothing ever happened in about half an hour's time.
43:38Just another day
43:40in the life of
43:42Cheshire's Roads and Crime Unit.
43:48If you have any
43:50dashcam clips you think could feature
43:52in the next series of Motorway Cops,
43:54Catching Britain's Speeders,
43:56send them, along with your contact details
43:58to contact us
44:00at purpleproductions.co.uk
44:08A chilling SOS
44:10from a supermarket starts a minute-by-minute
44:12account of police.
44:14Hour of duty, that's new, Wednesday night at nine.
44:16Next to night, ambulances
44:18queue at Barnsley A&E,
44:20with staff making crucial calls
44:22about who should be seen first
44:24in Casualty 24-7.
44:26Every second counts.