Motorway Cops Catching Britain's Speeders S01E04
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00:00Oh, Widowmakers.
00:04Every day, Britain's roads are witness to shocking scenes.
00:08The amount of times you sit here and you hear...
00:11Yeah. Yeah.
00:13This time, both parties survived the crash.
00:17It happens so often.
00:19I mean, some people have landed in next door's garden.
00:22Yeah, yeah.
00:24It's a nightmare.
00:27Britain's police have almost a quarter of a million miles of road
00:31to patrol in their fight against bad driving.
00:39With deaths and serious injuries caused by accidents
00:42on our roads on the increase,
00:44it's no wonder that around a quarter of all UK vehicles
00:48now have dashcams fitted.
00:51It's just crashed. It's crashed upside down.
00:54And the great British public
00:56are capturing outrageous driving on camera.
01:02Across the country, motorway cops are relying more and more
01:06on the evidence of dashcams uploaded to them.
01:10I've found one. 301 over five.
01:13In this series...
01:15We haven't got a dashcam, have we?
01:17...possible spinal injuries.
01:19Whoa, whoa, whoa.
01:21..we follow them.
01:23I saw that. Oh, my God.
01:26Oh, my God.
01:28Oh, my God.
01:30Oh, my God.
01:32Oh, my God.
01:34Oh, my God.
01:36Oh, my God.
01:39As they crack down on Britain's bad drivers.
01:44Tonight, they investigate a serious collision...
01:48Hi there. How are you?
01:50Well, stupid question.
01:52You're in a car at the moment, aren't you?
01:54..find themselves with more speeders than they can handle...
01:58One series could be promising.
02:00Well, that 4x4 in lane three gave me a bit of ground, didn't it?
02:04..and get caught up in chaos
02:07following a routine stop.
02:09He's kicking off all day. He's going to jail.
02:11Shut up now.
02:13I'm having a drink of water!
02:15I'm having a drink of water!
02:18HE EXHALES
02:35In Congleton, one of Cheshire's most experienced
02:38high-speed pursuit drivers is arriving for work.
02:4230 miles an hour to come to work,
02:44lift up to 160 miles an hour.
02:50Cheshire has nearly 3,500 miles of road
02:54and covering the ground means officers like PC Andy Doran
02:58drive up to 200 miles on each shift.
03:03I know the roads, so we can go long distances and get about.
03:10Knowledge is power.
03:15Hello, police emergency.
03:17Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's still my car.
03:19In Macclesfield?
03:21Yes, yes, yes, yes.
03:23Hotel Tanger 9-1, I'm just coming into my TML Penningtons now.
03:27It's half-past nine in the morning
03:29and five police cars are searching for a car
03:32suspected of being stolen in the early hours.
03:35SIREN BLARES
03:42Hotel Tanger 9-1, we've got a vehicle failing to stop in Macclesfield.
03:46The suspected stolen car has been spotted,
03:49but the driver is refusing to stop.
03:51Andy joins the pursuit.
03:56He's behind us.
04:06Do you think he's coming towards Earl's Way?
04:14The roads go everywhere.
04:20We've found the car.
04:22There he is.
04:24The driver has abandoned the car and is on the run.
04:28Any idea, mate, you didn't see where he'd gone or anything?
04:31Ford Focus, crashed it, hit this one.
04:33Really? Yeah.
04:35Wow. We'll have a look around for him, pal.
04:37Cheers.
04:42Sounds like this lad's on a bit of a spree for stealing cars.
04:52Once you've ran from the car, it can be anywhere.
04:56So you can sort of run down these passageways.
05:01The suspect is known to police.
05:05Is he?
05:07OK.
05:09Really? That's quite serious, that.
05:14Andy searches the addresses connected to the suspected car thief.
05:19I've found people in wheelie bins, in outside stores, under cars.
05:25Just try and play hide-and-seek.
05:28It's hard to know where he's gone.
05:30There's a network of paths and forestry, so he can go anywhere.
05:33So we'll just have to wait and see. See if he pops back up again.
05:38In situations like this, there's only one thing to do.
05:42Call in the police dogs to sniff them out.
05:47In Manchester, thieves throw a stolen catalytic converter at the police
05:51in a bid to thwart them.
05:54A high-speed pursuit ensues down residential streets
05:58before three men eventually abandon the car and attempt a getaway.
06:05But they couldn't outrun the police dog.
06:10In Hertfordshire, this police dog used his tracking abilities
06:14to hunt down a suspect during a two-mile cross-country chase.
06:18Where?
06:21Right, police officer with a dog!
06:23You're under arrest. Come out!
06:26And eventually, got his man.
06:30Good boy! Yay! Good lad.
06:37Shh!
06:39I'll give you a shout.
06:42Back in Macclesfield, Cheshire,
06:44it's been 40 minutes since the last sighting of the suspected car thief.
06:51Police dog Toro is one of the 21 dogs
06:54Cheshire share with their neighbouring North Wales force.
07:03Get out of here now! Toro, out!
07:08Toro has found the man, hiding in the bushes.
07:13Excuse me, are you going to get bitten?
07:21The dog's bitten the male.
07:24The dog's found him, though.
07:26You're under arrest for me.
07:28I'll tell you in a minute, all right?
07:32Have a look, please. No, sit down.
07:37Just watch him.
07:39He's moved, he's bitten him.
07:42On Britain's roads,
07:44Dashcam is capturing drivers at their worst.
07:50From cutting people up...
07:53..to cars queuing to undertake each other,
07:56even on the hard shoulder.
08:00Around 2.7 million motoring offences are committed in England
08:04and around the world.
08:07Around 2.7 million motoring offences
08:10are committed in England and Wales every year.
08:14Whether it's motorway lanes or country lanes,
08:18danger lies around every corner.
08:25Hotel Tanger 911, we've got a vehicle failing to stop in Macclesfield.
08:29In Macclesfield, Cheshire,
08:31a man suspected of stealing two cars is on the run.
08:36He leaked the Ford Bugis.
08:38Really? Yeah.
08:40Wow.
08:44Get out of here, now!
08:48A police dog has found the man, hiding in the bushes.
08:59Just watch him, Chris.
09:01The dog seems to have had more than just a nibble of the man.
09:04PC Andy Doran tries to keep him calm.
09:07Yeah, I'll move the seat forward.
09:09Just listen to me.
09:11No, don't start butting the window.
09:14I am a medic, however...
09:16What I can say, there's no excessive bleeding
09:19that would need me to do any first aid here.
09:22However, we'll take you to hospital and then they can look at it.
09:25No, no, it doesn't work like that,
09:27because you're not a fit person to be in an ambulance.
09:30So get in a van.
09:32Keep your pants on, fella.
09:34While it's in your undies, they're all holding together, aren't they?
09:38The suspect is clearly in distress,
09:40but the officers can't transport him to hospital in his current state.
09:44We have reason to believe that you were the driver of that car.
09:47What car? Right, it's gone. We're going to have you breathalyser.
09:50I'm refusing me. OK, you're refusing.
09:53Failure or refusal to provide may lead to arrest.
09:56All right. Are you going to provide?
09:58Yeah, I'll provide. What have you got to hold?
10:00OK, just relax.
10:02Blow into the machine until I say to stop.
10:04Blow, blow, blow, blow, blow, blow, blow, blow, blow, blow, blow.
10:07Stop.
10:08What did you set it for, Matt? 48.
10:10And it is a fail.
10:13The suspect has failed the breath test
10:15and is taken in a police van to hospital.
10:27OK. Thanks, mate. Good one, Matt.
10:30Bye.
10:35It's one thing being found hiding,
10:37but then to be bitten on your nuts,
10:39it'll be a lasting reminder, won't it, for him?
10:42Maybe think twice before he runs off and hides and we send the dog in.
10:47He won't forget this day for a long time.
10:55Cheshire sits at a vital crossroads in the UK's motorway network.
11:00It's four motorways linked north to south,
11:02as well as Manchester to both Liverpool and Wales.
11:07Cheshire Police have a base at Knutsford Services,
11:10as it's close to the centre of their motorway network.
11:14From here, when travelling at 150 mph,
11:17they can reach the furthest part of Cheshire's motorways
11:20in just 12 minutes.
11:23I never leave my brew here.
11:25I always take one out because I can be out all day
11:28and that might be the only drink that we have all day as well,
11:32so even if it's cold, I'll drink it.
11:36PC Mike Clark is starting an evening shift.
11:39He's been policing the motorways of Cheshire for over 18 years.
11:46Over the years now, cars are getting much, much safer.
11:49So now you've got, like, your antelope braking systems,
11:52anti-skid, all the traction thing.
11:54It's trying to keep people safe,
11:56but the most dangerous bit of the car is the nut behind the wheel, isn't it?
12:02Tonight, Mike's in an unmarked car, patrolling the M56,
12:06a stretch of motorway notorious for one thing.
12:12OK, any idea why they've stopped you?
12:14Speeding.
12:16Any idea why they've stopped you?
12:18Speeding.
12:20Have you got a clean licence?
12:25And what's that for? Speeding.
12:28If I only went out after speeders,
12:31I could fill a book a day easily without even trying.
12:35Have you got a clean licence?
12:37I have, yes.
12:38That's not helpful, then, is it?
12:47Government statistics show that in 2020,
12:50motorway speeding increased,
12:52with 53% of cars exceeding the limit.
12:55And high speed makes any driving mistake much more dangerous.
13:03Here on the southbound M6,
13:05a lorry moves lanes, oblivious to the car beside it.
13:10On the M5, a car sees the tanker changing lanes ahead,
13:14but doesn't see the car already in the third lane.
13:18And on a wet M1 near Wakefield,
13:21driving conditions meant it was far from plain sailing for this driver.
13:31Back on the M56.
13:33One save, as could be promised, then.
13:37He seems to be picking up his skirt and running.
13:43Although that 4x4 in lane three is a bit...
13:46It's gaining a bit of ground, isn't it?
13:49PC Mike Clark's got a decision to make.
13:52He's spotted two speeding cars.
13:55I can only stop one at a time, so I have to pick my targets well.
13:59But I normally get the one that's doing the worst driving.
14:03Mike's decided to overtake the silver car
14:06and go after the greater offender.
14:09The minimum that's stated in law that we have to follow them for
14:13is only 0.3 miles and 100 miles an hour.
14:16And that's just over 10 seconds at that speed.
14:19No time at all.
14:21I'm happy with that.
14:23We've got him over the distance that we need.
14:26We'll look for a suitable spot to try and get him in
14:30Hello, mate. You all right? Do me a favour.
14:32If you come off at the next slip here, on the roundabout,
14:36there's a bit of a parking thing.
14:38I'll have a knot on my shoulder, then.
14:43With a junction close by, Mike's decided to deal with the speeder
14:47at the roundabout ahead.
14:49I'm going to try and get him in.
14:51I'm going to try and get him in.
14:53I'm going to try and get him in.
14:55I'm going to try and get him in.
14:57He's decided to deal with the speeder at the roundabout ahead.
15:02Oh, where's he going?
15:06We're going to go and have a grand soda somewhere, aren't we?
15:14Where's he going?
15:21We was actually on the roundabout, mate.
15:23I thought we were going to go and have a grand soda.
15:26It's your speed.
15:28Yeah.
15:30We've been out about an hour, and we've had three in that time.
15:33Was you behind me?
15:35I was behind you quite a way, mate.
15:37I think at one point, 110 miles an hour.
15:39Please, please slow down, mate. OK?
15:49Despite improving vehicle safety features,
15:52speed is still a factor in 17 deaths
15:55and 126 serious injuries a month.
15:59We've all got friends and family who are out on the roads,
16:02and I just want to try and make it as safe as I can for them.
16:05Cos I've lost friends in car crashes,
16:07I've had family injured badly,
16:09and if you can have a chat with someone one day
16:12and curb them down a bit,
16:14then hopefully they won't get involved in something.
16:23HE SIGHS
16:31Good, how are you?
16:33I don't know what's going on with that.
16:36It needs to be neat and a bun on the back of my head.
16:40That'll have to do.
16:42In Chester, PC Amy Hollis is starting her ten-hour shift.
16:46Got my hat in case we go to anything serious today.
16:52Serious crashes, fatal crashes.
16:55We wear the white caps.
16:58They're not particularly great at keeping your head dry,
17:01not particularly great at keeping the sun out of your eyes.
17:04I think it simply is more of a professionalism type of thing.
17:07So if you see one of us in a flat white hat,
17:11you know something bad's happened.
17:13Or we're at Greg's.
17:16There's a man been knocked off his bike!
17:18OK. He was thrown up in the air,
17:20he did a full 360, landed on the back of the neck.
17:23Oh, my gosh, right, OK.
17:31So we have a car versus bike RTC.
17:35It's just windy roads.
17:38Just can't really make much progress.
17:41Amy is six miles away, and it's the start of the evening rush hour.
17:46Keep going, Mr Porsche Man, keep going, keep going, keep going.
17:50There we go.
17:54Collisions between motorbikes and cars
17:56can lead to life-threatening injuries,
17:59so she needs to get to the scene as fast as possible.
18:02Ooh!
18:04Learn to drive, I never know what they're going to do.
18:07When I first started driving,
18:09my dad gave me the keys to a car and said,
18:12I'm giving you a load of gun.
18:14Get out of the way, I'm coming through.
18:18We go to some of the most horrendous crashes,
18:23and I don't think anything can really prepare you for that.
18:29Motorcyclists typically travel only around 2,000 miles a year,
18:34and while they make up less than 1% of traffic,
18:38they account for a staggering 19% of all fatalities.
18:43I'm all right. Bit of a day-to-day, innit?
18:47Not even police motorcyclists are able to stop a car
18:51that's been hit by a car.
18:54I'm all right. Bit of a day-to-day, innit?
18:57Not even police motorcyclists are safe on the roads.
19:01In this shocking incident,
19:03a car pulls into the path of an oncoming motorbike.
19:07Amazing that he survived,
19:09but with a broken pelvis and a broken arm.
19:13The car driver was later sent on an awareness course,
19:16and the biker was fined and disqualified
19:19after being found over the drug limit.
19:25Are you able to stick a road closure on a bit further down?
19:30Back in Cheshire, PC Amy Hollis is at the scene
19:33of a motorbike and car collision
19:35and is reporting back to the control room.
19:38Quick update from the scene.
19:40The motorcyclist is being seen to by paramedics at the moment.
19:43He does appear to have quite a substantial break to his right leg
19:47and possible spinal injuries.
19:49He's conscious and breathing, being seen to by fire and ambulance.
19:52The driver of the vehicle is currently being seen to by fire.
19:58Have you witnessed this?
19:59Yes. You have, OK.
20:01My wife just had his phone off and was just phoning up her,
20:04his friend, his wife.
20:05Is that his phone now, is it?
20:07Am I right to take that?
20:09The injuries to the motorcyclist are severe.
20:12It's left to Amy to inform his partner about the accident.
20:16I'm just on the scene now. He is conscious.
20:18It looks like he might have a bit of a bad break to his leg.
20:21I can't talk about whose fault it is and not at the moment.
20:24That's what we're here to investigate, OK?
20:27All right, sweetheart. Take care.
20:29Hi. Have you witnessed what's happened?
20:31As we've approached this junction,
20:33that car has slowed down and indicated to the right,
20:36that bluish car in front.
20:38Yeah.
20:39The bike spun, the rider went into the air,
20:42did a full 360 and kind of landed around this area.
20:45OK.
20:46I instantly started screaming and that's when I phoned you guys.
20:51After taking witness statements, there's some surprising news for Amy.
20:56I don't know whether you've spoken to any of the fire service.
20:59They said there was a strong smell of marijuana in the kettle
21:02when they went to her. In her car?
21:04Yeah. Right. Apparently.
21:06I've not been to her. OK.
21:08I've got to get my truck slowed down. I wasn't expecting that.
21:11Thank you for that.
21:13You're doing a U-turn there.
21:15On average, we spend a total of 4.3 years of our lives in our cars.
21:20And for many drivers, every minute is caught on dashcam.
21:26From running red lights...
21:29..to cutting corners.
21:31Insurance companies now accept footage to support claims.
21:35It's a bit of a gamble, isn't it?
21:38Insurance companies now accept footage to support claims.
21:42So it's vital that every second behind the wheel is spent wisely.
21:46Bad decisions can be costly.
21:54Quick update from the scene.
21:56The motorcyclist being seen to by paramedics at the moment.
21:59He does appear to have quite a substantial break to his right leg.
22:04In Cheshire, PC Amy Hollis is at the scene of a collision
22:08between a motorbike and a car.
22:10As we've approached this junction,
22:12that car has slowed down and indicated to the right. Yeah.
22:15The bike spun, the rider went into the air,
22:18did a full 360 and kind of landed around this area.
22:22OK.
22:24After taking witness statements, there's some surprising news for Amy.
22:29The fire brigade have said that they've smelt the smell of cannabis
22:32coming from that vehicle when they've opened the door.
22:35So I'm just going to drug swiper and breath sester.
22:40Hi there. How are you?
22:42Well, stupid question. You're in a car at the moment, aren't you?
22:46Hello, wolf.
22:47So, because you've been involved in a road traffic collision,
22:50I am just going to require you to provide me a specimen for any alcohol.
22:53If I can get you to blow into the tube for me until I say stop.
22:56Keep going, keep going, stop.
22:58And that's zero, so that's great.
23:00So, this one is for the drugs.
23:02These pads here need to go along your tongue like this.
23:05That's perfect.
23:07This takes about eight minutes to come back, OK?
23:09Can I ask you as well, what's actually happened?
23:14I don't remember, because I was turning in... Mm-hm.
23:19..following a car. Yeah.
23:21And then the next thing I know, there was a huge bang. Yeah.
23:24And then I just heard Milado screaming. OK.
23:28Did you see him, then? I didn't see him at all.
23:32Because I wouldn't have turned if he'd have been on the road. OK.
23:36I will come back to you shortly. Thank you very much.
23:39Thanks. Thank you.
23:43The motorcyclist is taken to hospital
23:45and the car driver is checked over in the ambulance.
23:49Oh, sorry, it's just the police.
23:54Eight minutes have passed
23:56and Amy has the drug test result for the driver.
23:59Just to let her know the result of the drug test is negative.
24:02That's great. Did you get that?
24:04Perfect. Thank you.
24:06The test clears the woman of driving under the influence of drugs.
24:10Indeed, anecdotal evidence suggests
24:13deployed airbags are the cause of death.
24:16Another piece of evidence suggests
24:18deployed airbags can smell similar to cannabis.
24:21If I can give you this, this is for your insurance company.
24:24Come on, Woff, time to go.
24:26And I'll give you a bell later on.
24:28All right, thanks very much. Take care. Thank you. Bye now. Bye.
24:31DOOR SLAMS
24:42As a full-time officer, you're constantly around trauma.
24:46That way.
24:48I meditate and do quite a lot of yoga.
24:51You know, I have a really good support bubble around me,
24:54which really helps.
24:56But I think you still need to be consciously aware of it
25:00because one day it might just creep up and be there.
25:08Cheshire is a vast county to police.
25:11In fact, it's larger than the areas served by both the Met Police
25:16and Merseyside Police put together.
25:21For cops like PC Andy Doran,
25:24patrolling the 905 square miles of Cheshire
25:27makes planning his day difficult.
25:32I bring food with me because, you know, I've had it so many times,
25:35you intend to go back and you get to another job beforehand
25:38or you sit down to have your food
25:40and then you end up only eating half of it
25:42because you're getting called out again.
25:44This is my office. This is where I'll eat them.
25:47You just never know when things are going to happen.
25:51RADIO CHATTER
26:02Yeah, I'm route.
26:04Andy is the nearest officer, but he's in the centre of Wilmslow.
26:09We're a little bit away, but we've got straight roads,
26:12so we should be able to cover a bit of ground quite quickly.
26:17That's it, you don't stop?
26:19I'll keep on driving, look down.
26:21The two-car collision is 10 miles away, on the border with Derbyshire.
26:25Come on, mate, park me away.
26:28Oh, finally.
26:31Andy is getting close,
26:33but the accident is creating a tailback over a mile long.
26:37I'm going to have to go this way, but it's busy.
26:40The only way to get through
26:42is by driving on the wrong side of the road.
26:46Slow down, mate, slow down.
26:52I'll block the road there.
26:55The incident is at a busy crossroads,
26:58a common factor in many collisions.
27:05In the UK, two-thirds of accidents take place on roads
27:08with a speed limit of 30 miles per hour or less.
27:11And all too often, it's at the junctions where these roads meet
27:15that cars meet too.
27:17A moment's lack of concentration can cause chaos.
27:23T-junctions and crossroads, where the roads are staggered,
27:27are the most dangerous in the UK,
27:29accounting for almost a quarter of accidents.
27:32As these dashcam clips show, for many drivers,
27:36escaping serious injury is often more luck than judgement.
27:42Oh, my life!
27:44How are we doing, mate?
27:46Are you all right, mate?
27:48Back in Disney, Cheshire, PC Andy Doran is at the scene
27:52of a two-car collision at a busy four-way junction.
27:55Right side chest and right side leg,
27:58so it's where the airbags come out,
28:00it's the inner leg and the seatbelt across the chest here.
28:03OK.
28:04It's my right leg and my right side.
28:08No injuries to that gentleman?
28:11And the driver of this vehicle?
28:13Are you injured, sir?
28:14He's fat. We'll take your details in a second.
28:17Andy is satisfied there are no major injuries.
28:20What happened, sir?
28:22My lights were on green.
28:24OK.
28:25I was coming down about 20 miles.
28:27You come in this direction, are you?
28:29In this direction. Yeah.
28:31And the middle lane, that was all full.
28:33And as I got past, bang, he suddenly come out of the side
28:36because he said that the bloke in the front,
28:39had waved him out.
28:41Oh, OK.
28:42But he didn't think about me coming down on the inside.
28:46OK, no problems.
28:52Are we OK there, Susan?
28:53Are you liking all the attention?
28:56You like that, do you?
28:57Does James give you a lot of attention?
28:59Does he not?
29:00Mad man.
29:02Where were you going to?
29:04Chatsworth. We go over there for our lunch sometimes.
29:07Oh, do you?
29:09You like us, we haven't got our lunch yet.
29:12Just thinking of when he saved you.
29:17The paramedic takes the couple to hospital.
29:20Cheers, thanks, mate.
29:22Andy stays to help clear the cars.
29:30A young person in a passing car has shouted abuse at Andy.
29:34Just one second, mate.
29:35Not realising there's a traffic jam ahead.
29:41What did you say, mate? Don't do that again.
29:44You give me stuff like that again, mate,
29:46and I'll get you locked up, all right?
29:50Can you believe it, eh?
29:52Kids like that.
29:53He had his school emblem on there,
29:55so I'll just ring his school and speak to them tomorrow.
29:58Can't get away with things like that.
30:00Two hours after the crash, the road is clear.
30:06Police get a lot of bad names, a lot of bad press
30:09for the things we don't do.
30:11You know, and at the end of the day,
30:13we try our hardest to help out where we can.
30:25For the officers of Cheshire,
30:28patrolling the county is mostly a solitary job.
30:35However, today, five cars are working on an operation
30:38in central Cheshire, including the boss, Inspector Anton Sullivan.
30:43Sometimes, when you're in an area,
30:45it's a bit like casting a fishing net.
30:47You're just waiting to see what you catch.
30:50While the officers keep a lookout for traffic offences,
30:53they're joined by a van fitted with ANPR,
30:56or Automatic Number Plate Recognition Cameras.
31:00As vehicles pass by, their registration plates are red.
31:04Any of interest can be stopped and checked by the team.
31:08We'll just see what comes in.
31:10That's the beauty of the job.
31:12You don't know what you're going to be dealing with.
31:16You can end up with a headache at the end of the day
31:18cos your eyes are constantly swivelling.
31:21It's like watching tennis, car going that way, car going that way.
31:29Red Audi Q2.
31:31It's got a marker on for emergency sighting.
31:33It's been used as a getaway vehicle from Tesco.
31:37Stealing £1,000 worth of products.
31:40All right, let's get to where we should be.
31:43The ANPR cameras have alerted the team to a red Audi Q2.
31:48It's LCR01, it's coming my way. I'll try and pick it up, though.
31:52PC Niaz-Waddington heads to intercept the Audi,
31:56surveying the oncoming traffic as he goes.
32:01Uniform 75, that's past me, that's Q2.
32:08I think Lee's further down, but you can look out for him.
32:12He's trying to play catch up.
32:14All the cars in the operation swoop into the area.
32:20A marked police vehicle spots the suspect car
32:23and follows it down a dirt track.
32:28Uniform 75, I'm behind George.
32:32We do need to stop it and ascertain who's in that vehicle
32:35cos they could be going to quit, steal,
32:38or they could have just committed a crime.
32:42Catching criminals is fraught with danger.
32:45They will stop at nothing to try and escape the police.
32:50In Birmingham, police pursuing a stolen car
32:53have to drive into oncoming traffic.
32:56It's a dangerous situation.
32:58It's a dangerous situation.
33:00It's a dangerous situation.
33:02It's a dangerous situation.
33:04It's a dangerous situation.
33:06It's a dangerous situation.
33:08Police pursuing a stolen car have to drive into oncoming traffic
33:12when the carjackers try to escape,
33:14one on a moped and one on foot.
33:17But the criminal himself is left feeling robbed
33:21when his friend doesn't help him get away.
33:24Later, he was sentenced to just under five years in prison.
33:31In Bolton, two burglars spray a fire extinguisher out of their window
33:35as they try to make their getaway.
33:37They've committed a robbery at a convenience store.
33:42They attempt to ram the police car
33:44but end up causing severe damage to the back door of the stolen car.
33:50A high-speed pursuit through residential streets at 70 miles per hour
33:54eventually ends with a stinger puncturing their tyres.
34:00Tactical contact finally brings the car to a halt.
34:04Both offenders were given prison sentences.
34:13All right, guys, what I need to do is just grab some details...
34:16In central Cheshire, PC Niaz Waddington and the team
34:19have stopped a red Audi linked to a supermarket robbery.
34:23All right, as soon as we've sorted that out, guys,
34:25you're on your way to wherever you need to go.
34:27Before questioning the suspect about the robbery,
34:30the team do some routine checks.
34:32Have you got a licence, mate?
34:34I've drove. I haven't got a licence.
34:36Right, OK. Sorry.
34:39Okey-dokey.
34:41Honest.
34:42Guys, I've told him I've not got a licence.
34:44You don't have to lie for me, OK?
34:46Right, cheers. Thank you very much for that.
34:48He's admitted to having no licence,
34:50so technically he's driving this vehicle with no insurance,
34:52which means the vehicle gets seized.
34:54Ideally, if you've got a driving licence, would be very...
34:58You haven't got a driving licence?
35:00Right, so who else is here who can drive?
35:04As no-one can legally drive the car away, the car is seized.
35:09Can I give you person checks, please?
35:11Niaz requests background checks on the four men.
35:15You're shown as a prisoner's licence recall, mate.
35:18All right. No, you're lying.
35:20No, I'm not. Hand behind your back, mate.
35:22One of the passengers has broken his rules of probation.
35:25Uniform 75, McBreasted.
35:28Just a week after being released from prison.
35:32You're going to be sick. What?
35:34Right, if you're going to be sick, mate, just be sick away from us.
35:41The dog unit have been called in,
35:43in case the situation gets out of control.
35:46Come on, walk around this way.
35:50As well as an ambulance, in case any of the men need medical attention.
35:56No! I've got a bottle here.
35:58I'm having a drink of water.
36:00I'm having a drink of water.
36:02I'm having a drink of water!
36:04I'm having a drink of water!
36:06Where's your bottle of water? In the car.
36:08All right, sit down a little bit. No.
36:12No.
36:16Whoa!
36:18Chill your beans and pick your can up. You're not literate.
36:26Every 20 minutes, someone is seriously injured or killed on UK roads.
36:34Bad driving leads to bad accidents.
36:37And it's all being caught on dashcam.
36:41Our driving skills are in reverse.
36:46We're slipping up on slip roads.
36:49And we're not giving the roads our full attention.
36:55What are you doing?
37:02Uniform 75, I think at least further down.
37:05Just trying to play catch up.
37:07In Cheshire, the Roads and Crime Unit are running a special operation.
37:13ANPR cameras alerted them to a car linked to a supermarket robbery.
37:17Uniform 75, I'm behind George.
37:21But the straightforward stop has turned into chaos.
37:25With two of the four occupants being arrested for driving and probation offences.
37:30Six times they saw back in jail.
37:32Take.
37:34Six times, officer.
37:36One has come quietly.
37:38I'm having a drink of water!
37:40I'm having a drink of water!
37:42The other, less so.
37:46The car smells of cannabis for a start.
37:49Inspector Anton Sullivan is searching the car for evidence.
37:53What you've got are small pieces of cellophane.
37:55And what that can be an indication of is that they've had class A drugs.
37:58Because the heroin, crack or the cocaine comes in tiny little bits of cellophane.
38:03And if they've used it, they then just chuck the end bits away.
38:06So whilst there's nothing in those now, it kind of paints the picture.
38:09These people are clearly involved in drug use as well as drug supply from the evidence that we've found.
38:14So we'll throw the book at them for everything we can.
38:17Is my boy all right?
38:19Yeah.
38:22All for one, one for all.
38:24Call yourselves the Musketeers.
38:26With all four men arrested, they're taken into custody,
38:30where they will be questioned about the supermarket robbery.
38:33MUSIC
38:50Hey, there's a heavy police station there.
38:53When we're out doing these types of operations,
38:56this is exactly what we're looking for.
38:58They're not from Cheshire.
39:00I don't know why they're in Cheshire, but they're not welcome back.
39:03Simple as.
39:08As well as working together as a team,
39:10the Cheshire police work closely with their six neighbouring forces.
39:15They routinely share intelligence about criminals
39:18passing across borders from one county to the next.
39:21Right, there's a report from our colleagues down in Staffordshire
39:26that there's a BMW coming up here.
39:28It's a BMW.
39:30It's a BMW.
39:32It's a BMW.
39:34It's a BMW.
39:36It's a BMW.
39:38It's a BMW.
39:40It's a BMW.
39:42We've got a report from Staffordshire that there's a BMW travelling up north.
39:48They called us back today, it was all over the road,
39:51erratic driving, couldn't keep to his lane.
39:54So we're going to go down to the next junction, junction 18,
39:57and park up with another officer, and if it comes through,
40:00we'll get behind it, we'll get eyes on.
40:05Perched above the motorway, it's down to Inspector Anton Sullivan
40:09and his colleagues to spot the red BMW.
40:13We live in a county with such an extensive road network,
40:16people think it's easy for them to get from one place to another
40:19and never interact with the police.
40:23But we all work as a team.
40:26You know, from the intelligence unit to the force control rooms,
40:29I've got support from the armed response teams, from the dog handlers.
40:33All of that combines to do one thing,
40:36and that's to keep the roads safe.
40:43Matt, was that the car?
40:49The two unmarked cars accelerate to try and catch up with the target car.
40:54Hotel Sierra Zero One, we've, I think, got the vehicle in sight,
40:57we're just trying to catch it now.
40:59Six fifty seven, standing by.
41:07Spotted.
41:08Great, I'll just manage it to drive it.
41:11Yeah, I'll stay back.
41:14What's the manner of driving, mate?
41:17It's driving, it appears fine, it's indicating, not speeding.
41:21Despite the current good driving,
41:23the earlier reports are still reason enough to stop the driver.
41:27So the trick is here, is for Matt to get in front of him,
41:30he'll put a lighting board up saying, follow me.
41:33And then my job will be to nudge him if he doesn't.
41:41The driver complies, following the unmarked car into Knottsford services.
41:47It's down to Anton and the team to investigate
41:50and find out the reasons for his unusual driving.
41:54Yeah, so, on the face of it,
41:56it doesn't look like there's a major concern there,
41:58it could just be somebody's tired.
42:00What Matt will be doing is just checking his driving licence,
42:03making sure he's not impaired.
42:06I think, I think he's, he's failed.
42:10Right, so, this gentleman has blown 57,
42:14nearly twice the legal limit for alcohol.
42:18No, no, no. I'm trying to be safe, I'm trying to be safe.
42:21Well, you can stay right, you can stay there,
42:23and you'll just have to throw up on the floor if you have to.
42:27OK. Do you take medication for anything?
42:34If he wants to take a risk driving on the motorway drunk,
42:36he's going to have to take the consequences for that.
42:40That will give him something to be anxious about.
42:43I might have a plastic bag, just something in case.
42:46Just bear with us.
42:48Eh?
42:49Oh.
42:51Cheers, Matt.
43:00My son passed a driving test yesterday.
43:03Massive milestone in anybody's life.
43:06And whilst I believe he's going to be sensible
43:09and he's going to take things slowly,
43:12what I can't predict is the people on the roads there
43:15that he's going to have to deal with.
43:17It's people like that, drink drivers,
43:20and when something untoward happens,
43:22they can't react or they overreact.
43:25And on a motorway, it's just a recipe for disaster.
43:29And do you know what?
43:30However long we have been going on about it,
43:33people still choose to drive while they're drunk.
43:37I'll never understand it.
43:48The motorway cops are back new next Monday at eight.
43:51Rotten shark washed down with a shot of black death
43:54is on the menu for Alexander Armstrong
43:56as his Icelandic adventure continues,
43:58brand new Wednesday at nine.
44:00And tonight, investigating a shocking true crime.
44:03We look back on the abduction of Leslie Whittle,
44:06brand new next.