This is Police Interceptors.
Get on the ground!
Police Interceptors, the real one? I'm gonna tell my kids about this.
And you're riding with the pride of Northamptonshire...
VEHICLE THUDS, TYRES SCREECH
Come on! ...ace pursuit drivers...
Contact, contact, contact. NPAS five-one.
...with air support... Got two out, stand by.
DOG BARKS
...and a crack dog unit.
If you move, you will get bit.
MAN YELLS
They bring down the bad guys... Police!
I believe you are wanted, mate.
Police with a dog, stand still! ...keep the streets safe...
Put your arms behind your back. I am!
Get on the floor!
...and battle 24/7...
Get down on the floor. ...in the war on crime.
TYRES SCREECH Crash, crash.
On the floor now!
It is what it is, innit? We find them, we lock 'em up.
Coming up, a blistering pursuit wreaks havoc on the M1...
Crash, crash, crash.
...Bertie faces off against a runaway biker...
We're Studland Road. Speed four-zero, medium risk.
And...
The dog's going nuts in the glove box.
...cocker spaniel Socks sniffs out a hidden haul of drugs.
It could be cocaine. It could be ketamine. It could be amphet.
Good lad.
Six-one, I'm now with the pursuing vehicle.
It's the early hours of Friday morning.
Yeah, copied, mate. Benji, how far are you behind?
A high-speed pursuit on the motorway
is pulling in cops from across the county.
Yeah, copied. Speed nine-five, medium risk.
And the motor, a fully-electric Hyundai Kona,
is seriously testing the boys and girls in blue.
Vehicle still failing to stop. 106.
Medium risk. M1, northbound.
Interceptor Scott Kimberley has just arrived to assist.
The RPU unit is now taking over due to speed.
Scott's in the Beamer 330,
a punchier motor than his colleague's Volvo,
so immediately takes the reins.
Just approaching junction 19.
Police have no idea why the Hyundai driver
is making off at such a desperate pace.
Speed one-one-five. Medium risk.
But his manner of driving suggests drink or drugs could be a factor.
Vehicle moves to lane... Swerving between lanes.
Until more back-up arrives,
Scott wants to keep the Hyundai on the motorway,
so moves up to prevent it exiting.
Keep-on initiated. Junction 19. Wait.
But as he does so, the driver lashes out...
METALLIC THUDS
...Scott's wing mirror taking a direct hit.
Contact major in keep-on.
Keep-on successful, vehicle continues, junction 19.
Was high risk, back down to medium.
Speed one-one-zero.
The ferocious speed, mixed with his aggressive tactics,
makes for a heady cocktail.
Control, can we get on to Nottinghamshire, please?
See if they can offer any units to assist.
There are currently three cop cars in pursuit,
but only two are TPAC trained.
And neither of them can prevent the suspect taking the next junction.
Vehicle is off-off-off, junction 20.
We'll attempt quartering to get it back on to the motorway.
Quartering is a tactic cops use in close-proximity driving
to obstruct the movement of the subject vehicle.
And, at the moment, there's only one place Scott wants the Hyundai to go.
Vehicle successfully quartered.
Vehicle is now committed, M1 north once again, junction 20.
But getting this reckless driver back on the motorway
still doesn't solve the original problem...
Traffic remains light. Speed one-zero-zero.
Risk remains medium.
...how to stop him before he causes the unthinkable.
Speed one-one-five.
Because he's now turning his aggressive tactics
on to other road users.
Vehicle is flashing other motorists out the way.
Speed one-one-five, just passing 141 over zero.
Thankfully, extra TPAC cars are just a couple of minutes behind.
Subject is swerving between lanes.
And Scott already knows what to do when they arrive.
My preferred tactical plan now would be to get behind the vehicle
to try and slow the vehicle down using blocking vehicles
once we've got enough TPAC cars.
But the next junction is a few hundred yards up ahead,
and Scott can't afford to let the Hyundai attempt an exit.
We are approaching half-mile marker posts for junction 20,
Wait.
If Scott could get close enough,
he'll have to do whatever he can to keep him on.
But just like last time, the fella comes out swinging.
METALLIC THUDS
Crash, crash, crash.
The pursuit is over, and the driver's legged it.
The race is on to ensure no-one gets away.
Get out of the vehicle now. Get out of the vehicle now!
Contact major, and keep-on.
Keep-on successful. Vehicle continues, junction 19.
On the M1 northbound, interceptor Scott was locking horns
with an electric Hyundai...
...that shot off from cops like a bolt of lightning.
Speed one-one-five.
And when Scott attempted to keep the Hyundai on at the next junction...
METALLIC THUDS
...every cop's worst fears were realised.
Crash, crash, crash.
Get out of the vehicle now!
Hurt my back! Get out of the vehicle!
I'm nothing to do with it!
Get out of the vehicle! Get out of the vehicle!
While Tarnia deals with the female back seat passenger...
Put your hands behind your back now!
I've hurt my back. Sit up!
I've hurt my back.
Keep still and I will move you.
...30 metres down the hard shoulder...
Go, go, go!
...the driver's just vaulted over the crash barrier.
Officer with a taser, stay where you are!
Officer with a taser, stop!
He fails to comply, so it's taser time.
Show me your hands, show me your hands!
Take it, take it, please.
Take it, please. Help me, help me, help me. Help me, stop!
Put your hands behind your back! Put your hands behind your back!
Despite taking a high-voltage barb to the leg, he's still resisting.
You're under arrest, dangerous drive, fail to stop.
You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence...
CONTINUES READING RIGHTS QUICKLY
Put your other arm behind your back! They are. I'm in pain!
What are you doing!? Put your other arm behind your back.
Put your arm behind your back! I promise, I was not...
Finally, both hands are cuffed.
Contact major in keep-on.
Subject lost control. Driver under arrest and detained.
So that's two nicked, but cops still aren't sure
how many were in the car in the first place.
How many have you got down there? One.
How many...? There was two blokes? Yes.
Two blokes. We've got one outstanding.
How many have we got there, one?
One outstanding.
Another passenger from the car remains at large.
They don't know where he's gonna be.
A dog unit is en route to try and flush him out.
That was a bit silly, weren't it? It weren't me.
Why on earth did you drive like that? What?
What, what do you think? Why are you saying what for?
You rammed me twice.
Could have killed someone, mate, couldn't you? Ridiculous.
I wouldn't drove like that if I didn't randomly get blue-lighted.
Blue lights mean you stop!
Silly, silly idiot.
Police have put a temporary traffic block on the motorway
while they deal with the suspects.
Right, because I can smell cannabis coming from you,
I do require a sample of saliva to check for analysis, OK?
Can you stick your tongue all the way out for me, please? Thank you.
Are you disqualified or just don't have a licence?
Just don't have a licence. Stick your tongue all the way out.
Results take eight minutes.
Plenty of time for the driver to dish out some attitude.
I hope your mum's life's... Yeah, you brick, fam.
Don't call me a brick. ...mum's life and you're...
I weren't even doing nothing. What's wrong with you?
Police officer with a dog! Make yourself known!
And now dog handler Knighty's arrived with German Shepherd Blue,
to track down the one that's missing.
This is your last chance!
The undergrowth is thick with brambles...
Good boy. Go on, then. ...but Blue is undeterred...
That's it. That's it. Good boy!
...because something's got right up his nose.
Right, stay where you are! Stay where you are!
Do not move! Good lad!
Do not move! Officer with a taser, do not move!
Get out! Put your hands up now!
BLUE HOWLS
The third and final occupant of the Hyundai
is now also destined for the nick.
Yes, good lad! Meanwhile, back at the roadside...
OK, you've failed for cannabis already, so,
at this moment in time, you're further under arrest
on suspicion of driving whilst over the prescribed drug limit, OK?
Drug driving has just been added to the rap sheet.
You could have killed so many people tonight.
Good boy! It's a successful end to an evening
that, if it weren't for the skills and tenacity of the interceptors,
could have ended very differently.
Let's get you some medical attention, get you to hospital,
and then we'll go from there, all right?
If you've got anything to say, tell us when you're in your interview.
No action was taken against either passenger,
but the driver pleaded guilty to dangerous driving,
fail to stop, driving without a licence or insurance,
and under the influence of drugs.
He was banged up for 12 months.
Good girl!
In Northamptonshire,
there's more than 1,500 cops working to keep the streets safe.
She is all business, aren't you?
But not a single one of them can do what these guys can.
Good boy, yes! Good lad.
The force has 13 police dogs, each with an innate ability
to sniff out anything, from drugs and firearms to cold hard cash...
Hello.
...which makes them a criminal's worst nightmare.
Today, three members of this crack team
are being put through their paces.
This is police dog Socks.
He is five years old.
He is a very experienced dog.
He's been doing this for... well, three and a half years now.
So, he does know the game, and he enjoys it.
He loves working, and... let's say we're quietly confident.
Their challenge is to find a series of dodgy packages
stashed in sneaky locations around this police-owned property.
And in here, we're gonna have some streaks of heroin,
two grams again, tucked in the gap between the beds there.
And it's not just drugs they'll be expected to sniff out.
There's about £20,000 in there.
It's quite low down.
I know there's gaps in the floorboards,
but still quite a hard find, that is.
Another massive wedge of cash has been hidden behind this radiator.
I just hope your dogs don't let you down, that's all I'm saying.
LAUGHTER All or nothing, mate.
All or nothing.
Instructor Thorpey is hoping for a perfect result from his trainees.
Perfect is they find everything. They're really strong dogs.
You know, we've got high standards,
and, roughly, I think searching all this and finding everything,
it will take them less than 25-30 minutes,
and they should find it all.
First up is the cash behind the radiator.
Will Socks and his handler, Lucy, hit the jackpot?
Seek, find.
They're getting to an area where they can start smelling it.
It's like the hot-cold game we used to play as a kid.
When your parents used to say "Warmer, warmer,"
you're getting closer to the source of what you're looking for,
and that's what the dog's doing. He's getting in that scent picture.
And then he's just got to try and work out exactly where it is
within that area.
If Socks locates it, Thorpey uses a clicker to indicate success.
Indication.
CLICKER SNAPS Good boy! Good lad!
He was... Good boy, Socks!
That's that scent picture he was busy around. Yeah.
Good boy!
Cocker spaniels have around 300 million scent receptors
in their noses... 50 times as many as humans.
And police pups are trained to start tapping into them
when they're just a few months old.
We start off at a young age, throw the ball down a field.
Will they go out and get it
and bring it back to you and have a play?
And then throwing that in slightly longer grass,
they'll go out and go "hang on, this is... I can't see it now.
"I've got to start using my nose."
And then they'll find the tennis ball,
cos they'll associate the smell of that ball,
so they've got to use their nose as opposed to their eyes,
and they get a reward for it, you know.
They bring that reward back,
and they get to play with Mum or Dad.
CLICKER SNAPS Good boy!
Who's a clever boy? Yes! Good lad!
You love me a little bit, don't you?
Good boy. Come on, then.
Next stop, the bedroom.
But will our canine hero locate the heroin?
Socks, here. Seek, find.
What are your thoughts at the moment?
Is he showing any interest in any particular areas?
Well, he's been up and down here quite a few times,
and he's not really shown a huge amount of interest
in the other side of the room.
Indication.
CLICKER SNAPS Good boy!
Yeah, nice one.
So far, so good.
Good lad!
But Thorpey's saved the toughest test for last...
Seek, find.
...a stash of cash deep beneath the floorboards.
CLICKER CLICKS I'm gonna give him that, cos...
Good boy! That was good. He needed that early one, didn't he?
It's a great result.
That's harness off, mate. Well done.
Good boy! Come on, then.
Come. Socks has passed with flying colours.
And later...
Good girl! Yes, Bonnie!
...so too do police dogs Bonnie and Frankie.
CLICKER CLICKS Good girl.
Well done. Good girl! Good.
Three finely tuned noses
prepped and primed for their next op in the field.
We wanna get them excited, we wanna get them happy,
we wanna get them willing to work,
and with that, they will work for us.
They're an amazing teammate.
Swap it for a human every day of the year.
CHUCKLES Every day.
It's Wednesday night.
Fresh from training, dog handler Lucy
is keeping tabs on a job unfolding nearby.
It's a vehicle with a drugs marker on it
for being involved in supplying drugs to university students
on, like, freshers' nights and things like that.
The university team of police have asked us
to have a look at this vehicle.
I think they're out looking for it as well.
The police have a dedicated team
that works in and around Northampton University campus.
Tonight is student night,
and they reckon the motor they're tracking
is delivering illegal substances.
They've just asked us to stop it and search it,
so I think we've just got a car behind it now.
Canine connoisseur Lucy's been on the force 16 years.
She knows her shih tzus for her cockapoos
and even once won an award at Crufts with her first police dog, Harper.
Criminals, be very afraid,
because Lucy's partner tonight is expert sniffer dog Socks.
SOCKS BARKS
It sounds like Lucy and Socks
could be about to put that training to good use.
Roger, I'll head there.
They've just found it.
I think it's just parked up on a residential estate,
and they've just asked us to go and search it with Socks,
see if there's any drugs in there.
For Socks, the ability to find well-hidden drugs
is like a superpower.
In three-and-a-half years on the force,
he's sniffed out more dodgy substances
than you'd find on a stag do in Ibiza.
He's trained on eight different types of drugs.
So, hopefully, if there's anything in the vehicle drug-wise,
or cash that's often associated with drug dealing,
then he'll be able to find it.
The suspect motor has been stopped in a cul-de-sac,
and its two occupants have already been detained.
DOGS BARKING
Firearms officers have been questioning the driver.
Hello. You all right?
So, I've just asked him. His face has given it away.
Right. He's indicated that it's just in there,
we think, by the gear stick.
OK. So we'll let you stick the dog in.
Yeah, yeah. That's it.
We'll go and stand over there, mate.
Something suss has already been found on the passenger
by interceptor Dan.
It's a little locking... self-sealing bag, so...
OK. But that's in that bag?
That's gone. OK. Cool.
Er, do you mind just shutting that door? Yeah.
I'll grab Socks. Cheers, mate.
So, there's two people detained.
I think there's a small amount of some sort of drug
in one of the bags that's been recovered from one of them.
And then, I think the driver's indicated
that there is drugs in there.
So we're just gonna put Socks in and see if we can find them.
The driver may have fessed up to having some drugs...
Come on, then.
...but there's always a chance
he's not being entirely honest about how much.
Socks, it's over to you.
A stash by the gear stick is the first thing he finds.
Can I just hand you that? I've not opened it.
Thank you.
But could that merely be an appetiser?
LUCY SIGHS I think there's more in here.
Socks reckons he can smell the main course.
The dog's going nuts in the glove box.
So I'm gonna see if he'll narrow it down a bit more,
but I'm wondering if there's a big amount,
and then they're doing that with it. Yeah, yeah.
But whatever's tickled his taste buds
for now remains elusive.
He's literally, like, pulling things out of the glove box with his teeth.
As the search rolls on,
two mobile phones in the car have been ringing off the hook.
No, that's one of these phones.
Somebody's popular!
I don't... It's not that one.
PHONE RINGING
Oh, there's one in the door pocket, mate.
Meanwhile, Socks' nose hairs have been tingling too.
What you got in there? And he's just hit the motherload.
Oh, wow. Good lad.
Two fat packs of mysterious powder.
You've got the crystals at the top,
and then you've got brown at the bottom.
But he's not ready to kick back and put his paws up just yet.
I think there's something else in there, Dan. Yeah.
He's still indicating on it. It could be residual, but...
Oh, no, it's not. It's not residual.
Good lad. LUCY CHUCKLES
He's done it again. Well done. There's more in here.
So, what have we got?
I think it's probably MDMA, ecstasy of some description.
All in all, there's enough chemicals here
to fuel an entire semester's worth of student rave-ups.
There's intel surrounding him dealing to students,
and obviously, tonight's a student night,
so he's obviously out working tonight.
It could be cocaine, it could be ketamine, it could be amphet.
The little tablets are almost certainly some sort of MDMA.
They'll all get tested and we'll find out, I guess.
And I think the driver's got a lot of cash on him as well,
and obviously, we've recovered his mobile phones and empty deal bags
and everything to kind of tie it all together.
So, yeah, good.
The driver is off to the nick,
and the suspected drugs have been confiscated.
So, for the foreseeable future,
the local student population will be on nothing stronger
than snakebite and blacks...
That's a good job, wasn't it? He's a good boy, aren't you?
...thanks in no small part to the training and fine-tuning
of Northamptonshire's most powerful nose.
He's like, "Er, excuse me, I can smell the drugs."
LUCY LAUGHS
No action was taken against the passenger,
but the driver was arrested for possession
with intent to supply class A and class B drugs.
The investigation is ongoing.
Coming up...
One rider. Male rider there, innit?
...it's motorcycle mayhem as one bike gets cornered...
Turn your engine off, mate.
...before a second one...
Through a red ATS, temporarily high risk.
...somehow slips the net.
He's off-road, he's off-road.
Is it a black Audi, by any chance? If so, it's off the road.
Interceptors Bertie and Matt
are on afternoon patrol in the north of the county.
Near a junction with John Clark Way and the A6?
An incident is kicking off at a village boozer two miles away.
We got a call from a member of the public who's been at a pub,
and a red motocross bike has come past his car
and has used a crowbar to smash the front window screen.
So, we're just having a look at the moment,
doing an area search for this bike,
under the suspicion that it's gonna be in possession of a crowbar,
which, erm, I might try and locate.
After a couple of minutes, they enter the village.
So, the pub in question is round here.
On the right-hand side, you'll see it.
The Olde Victoria.
A lovely pub.
No time for a cheeky pint, though, as someone's coming.
Ey up. Yeah, there it is.
Because the cops are in the unmarked,
the two-wheeler that just whistled past is oblivious to their presence.
But is it the one they're looking for?
Potentially seen. It's not a red bike.
Having swung a uey, it hasn't taken Bertie long
to get the biker back in view.
Romeo-Papa-six-four.
A view which confirms it's not the red bike they're after.
S-R-U... We're behind a motorbike in Burton.
Can I just give you the reg of it?
But they decide to run its details anyway.
No insurance, no MOT.
This fella's been in the wrong place at the wrong time,
but he's certainly worth a pull.
It's gonna go, innit?
The bike's turned into a housing estate,
which could mean he's just about to decamp.
One lad up.
Male rider there, innit?
But it could also mean he's simply just on his way home.
Turn your engine off, mate.
Is that your bike?
Need to have a chat with you, cos it's got no insurance.
It's showing as not having any insurance on it.
Well, it's showing as not having any on it.
Yeah, that's fine.
The rider insists it's insured, but he won't take his helmet off.
What's your name?
And now he won't tell Matt his name, either.
Is it your bike?
Have you bought it off someone recently?
Are you insured to run it?
Er...
You're not insured on it.
He's not gonna lie now, Matt, so the rest should be easy
You got a licence?
You sure?
You don't sound sure.
You're showing as "disqualified until test passed".
You're showing as disqualified, so at this moment in time,
you're under arrest on suspicion of driving whilst disqualified.
READS RIGHTS
You can give her a call, get her to come down.
The disqualified biker's got some fresh milk in his bag,
and he's keen to get it in the fridge.
Come here.
But if he pushes an interceptor, things could really turn sour.
Have a chat with her, drop what you need to drop off,
and then we'll get you going.
Looks like Matt's going in for a cuppa.
He's just got some milk he needs to drop off, so...
Unfortunately for the biker, the next brew he'll be having
will be from the vending machine at Kettering nick.
Have you got anything in your pockets? No, I don't.
Just my vape in my right.
A second crew has arrived to give him a lift.
Make sure it's all done by the time I get there.
And Matt's going along for the ride too,
which means Bertie's been left on bike watch.
Got a report of criminal damage
to a vehicle at The Olde Vic pub in Burton.
Erm, the report was somebody on a motorbike.
So we've travelled to Burton,
and this crosser loosely matching the description
has gone past us the other way.
So we've run some checks on it,
which says it's no insurance, no MOT on the vehicle.
So we've followed it,
to be honest, expecting that it probably was gonna make off,
and Matt's jumped out and grabbed hold of him.
And it turns out that he's a disqualified driver.
We're having a lot of motorcycle nuisances.
There's a lot of crime being committed
by people who are using motorcycles.
Ironically, he hasn't had anything to do
with the damage to the vehicle at the pub,
so it was just a case of wrong place, wrong time for him.
The unlucky biker pleaded guilty to driving without insurance
and whilst disqualified.
He received £200 in fines.
And unless he passes his test,
he'll have to walk to the shops next time he runs out of milk.
Up on the back wheel, offside of the road.
And he's continuing on, high speed.
Delta-two-six, I've got a motorbike failing to stop.
Not all motorcyclists are compliant easy riders.
High risk.
It went temporary off-road onto the pavement.
The interceptors sometimes deal with a wannabe Mad Max...
Wrong side of the road, speed six-zero,
temporary high risk.
...who reckons he's born to be wild...
If someone can push up...
I think it's gonna go off-road. Standby.
...but is nothing more than a menace to society.
We're off-road, off-road, through bollards.
The motorcycles are so nimble.
They can get places we can't.
They can go through alleyways, on pavements, through parks.
And it does cause a lot of anti-social issues in the community
because a lot of them don't abide by the normal rules of the road,
and they do drive dangerously, and it puts not only them,
the police, but it also puts members of the public at risk.
SIREN WAILS
Motorcycle hunters Bertie and Matt
are now out in the marked Beamer
and have just been clocked by a chap on two wheels.
It's not clear why the rider got spooked.
But he fancies his chances of getting one over on the boys.
We are.
And on these narrow residential roads,
a two-wheeled tearaway has the upper hand
because he can weave in and out of traffic...
CRUNCH ...and even avoid the speed bumps.
Copied. Advanced driver, TPAC-trained in suitable vehicle.
We've got a motorbike failing to stop.
He's seen us and made off at speed.
Rider is wearing a helmet at this time.
We are a right, right, right, on Cedar Road,
generally towards the town.
The runaway reckons his best shot at shaking Bertie is by doing loops.
Now right, right, right, Birchfield Road.
Weather conditions are good, road conditions are dry,
traffic is moderate, and pedestrian footfall is light.
But Bertie isn't just your average TPAC-trained advanced driver.
Speed five-zero, medium risk.
He's a dogged fighter with tenacity in spades.
Approaching roundabout. Wait.
And when he's in the mood, nothing can stop him.
Ah! Except perhaps the rush-hour traffic.
He's gone left, left, left,
Abington Grove, towards The White Elephant.
Come on! We're temporary held in traffic.
In his haste to get away,
the lad was lucky not to get knocked off.
We've lost eyeball at this moment. Standby.
But the word "quit" isn't in the interceptor's handbook.
Just trying to catch up on it.
Bertie draws on all 374 horses of the Beamer's power,
until Matt spots a speck in the distance.
Straight over Kettering Road.
It is... Er, is it? Yeah.
He's gone by. Yeah. Kingsthorpe Grove.
Kingsthorpe Grove.
We're generally towards... Harborough Road.
Speed six-zero, medium risk.
But the speck still has the edge over Bertie's 340.
Don't know if he's gone left here. I don't know where it's gone.
He's down there. Ugh. That's not...
He's bolted down an alleyway. So, is Bertie giving up?
Subject vehicle continues...
No chance.
Kingsley Road. We are still towards Harborough Road.
Speed six-zero, medium risk.
Approaching roundabout. Wait.
Incredibly, the boys have got him back on the hook again.
It's left, left, continues Kingsley Road,
towards Harborough Road, speed four-zero.
They can't risk letting him slip off a third time.
Can we get anyone with a stinger at the Cock Hotel junction?
A stinger could be their safest bet.
Approaching roundabout. Wait.
But the biker's route is suddenly becoming less predictable.
He's taken the third, taken the third.
He's stopped doing loops round the estate
and now seems to have a new destination in mind.
Speed four-zero, medium risk.
So, what's his plan?
If he's got any sense, he'll go left here.
Right, right, right.
Eight-five away, out of town towards Kingsthorpe.
We're through a red ATS, temporarily high risk.
Back down to medium. We are left, left, left.
Picks up on Mill Lane. He's gonna go off road.
Midsummer Lane.
Right, right, right.
The boys know there's a possible offroad escape route
just around the corner.
Advanced drivers like Bertie can make tactical contact
with motorbikes as long as they're not going too fast.
But this fella keeps finding an extra gear.
We're Studland Road.
Speed four-zero, medium risk.
And now, 100 metres up ahead
is exactly what they were worried about.
It's off-road, it's off-road. We're unable to continue.
It'll come out Mill Lane.
Come out Mill Lane, if we can get someone there?
At a slower speed,
Bertie could have safely given the bike
the cheekiest of nudges to take it down.
But it wasn't to be.
Just going too quick.
They won't be able to get to the other end of the lane
quick enough to pick him up.
It's an IC1 male rider.
He's got a balaclava under his helmet, clear visor.
He's got a grey puffer coat on, black joggers.
As the lads rue their bad luck,
the silence is broken by a familiar rumble.
Oh, there's another here.
BERTIE LAUGHS
Oh, my God!
Same shift, different bike.
This track's clearly a popular shortcut for local two-wheelers.
Well, that's frustrating.
Sometimes, chaps, you just have to let them go.
We'll have to take the loss at this time.
I'd imagine he's gone off-road somewhere.
Even so, the police have his numberplate for intel,
and they know that wrong 'uns like him will always come again.
Still to come...
Handbrake don't work, does it?
It does. It does not work! Look!
Michael finds a banger that's lost its bang.
Is the battery knackered as well? Must be.
MICHAEL LAUGHS
His tyre's totally bald on this side.
If your tyres are smoother
than Craig David's Friday night...
This chap's car's in a right state.
...or your electrics have more "flaws"
than a multistorey car park...
You've got a nearside light out, and you've got...
your offside brake light's not working.
...then be warned.
There's quite a lot of issues with this, isn't there?
Because an interceptor's favourite three letters are MOT.
The vehicle's gonna have a prohibition put on it,
which basically means you can't drive the vehicle any more.
Vehicles with no MOT might be for a variety of reasons.
It could be people forget.
But it may be that they know
their vehicle's got a number of defects, that it's unsafe,
and they can't afford to get them fixed.
And therefore, it puts more people at risk of harm
if certain components of that vehicle fail.
Sometimes, a vehicle with no MOT
can actually lead on to other document offences,
cos it may well be that if they're not maintaining their vehicle
or they're not bothered about maintaining their vehicle,
then have they got insurance?
One thing can sometimes lead to the next, can lead to the next.
RADIO BEEPS
There's a van that's just hit the camera at Alfred Street.
It's Wednesday morning.
It's a comments marker.
I think I put it on a few days ago.
The vehicle's in a bad condition, wants stopping.
It's got no MOT and no tax.
Veteran cop Michael's on the look out for a van
that he first spotted a few days ago.
So, a white van...
While I was off duty,
I noticed that the windscreen was all smashed, and so I...
Standby, everyone, I'm just on the phone.
...I put a comments marker on the vehicle.
It's got no tax, no MOT.
And it's just popped up on the cameras now, so...
I really want to get the vehicle stopped if I can.
Unroadworthy vehicles are Michael's biggest pet peeve.
If you're cruising around in a banger,
he'll nick you quicker than you can say "minimum tread depth".
The windscreen being all smashed in front of him is one thing,
but there could be other things like brakes and stuff.
So I just want to get it off the road, really.
After a few minutes,
Michael arrives in the area the van last triggered ANPR.
So he sits tight and waits for it to resurface,
which proves a canny move.
That's him.
A quick uey and a pump of the gas
soon gets him back within sniffing distance.
I'm pretty sure it's the one that I was sat alongside
when I saw the windscreen was all smashed.
So he lights him up, and the chap complies.
We'll have a chat with the driver.
Oh, why would you park there?
He's already failed Michael's first test.
Driver, can you pull into the truck stop for us?
It's definitely the one. That's the windscreen.
For Michael, spotting faults on vehicles is more than a mere job.
It's his true calling in life.
Let's see if this one's as bad as he reckons.
OK. So, the reason I'm stopping you...
Obviously, your windscreen's smashed.
Just literally happened this morning. No, it didn't.
It happened before then,
because I saw this vehicle five days ago,
and I put intelligence in about this vehicle.
It's got no MOT and no tax.
No MOT? Correct.
So, if you want to jump out for me, we'll have a chat about that.
The driver claims the windscreen only just got cracked.
I don't appreciate people who lie to me.
The biggest crime he's committed so far is underestimating Michael.
Are you the insured person for the vehicle? Yeah.
It's, erm, insured in London, or Middlesex? Is that correct?
Middlesex? Yeah.
I insured it just now. It's Northampton.
This morning. OK.
Can you prove that to me?
The driver wants to call his partner to get the insurance details.
Easier said than done.
MICHAEL LAUGHS
Erm, I'm not gonna ring your wife for you.
He says his mobile's out of credit.
How can you run a business without a phone that works?
More to the point, how can you see anything out of that windscreen?
Right, cos your tax is expired,
and it's out of date by three months or more,
it gives us the power to seize your vehicle.
And obviously, you can pay for the tax at the side of the road,
but you can't because you haven't got an MOT.
So, unfortunately, your vehicle'll be removed from the road.
Take off the ladders, will you?
Also, you're gonna be reported
for driving the vehicle in a dangerous condition
cos you've got a cracked windscreen.
I'll prohibit the vehicle from being moved.
So when the vehicle goes to the recovery dealer,
to get the vehicle back, it needs to be on the back of a lorry
or the back of a transporter,
and it needs to be taken to a garage to be fixed, MOT-ed.
And then once it's MOT-ed,
you need then to go to a police station to show that MOT,
and then the vehicle can be released to go onto the road properly.
Cos at the minute, you can't drive that vehicle on a road.
OK? OK.
I'm just gonna get my tools out of it and stuff.
Yeah, take out what you need.
While the driver gathers his things...
Hi. I've got John stopped at the side of the road.
...Michael gets his partner on the phone.
He says you're gonna clarify
that he's took out insurance on his van today?
Just get me the policy number.
Can you get the policy number for me so I can do some checks?
It doesn't take her long to give him what he needs.
Lovely. All right, thank you very much for that.
Michael will call the insurers in due course.
But first, he's itching to have a closer look at that van.
Handbrake don't work, does it? It does.
It does not work! Look!
There's nothing on that at all.
That van's been sat there all the time we've been here,
and it ain't moved.
You sure you want to drive it, Michael?
Doesn't even start now. How does the van start?
Is the battery knackered as well?
MICHAEL LAUGHS
Michael's not seen a wreck this bad
since Northampton Cineworld screened Titanic.
Blimey.
Do you have plans to get the vehicle back? Yes.
OK, I'll give you a bit of paper on how to get it back, all right?
So, just to let you know, also, on top of the windscreen,
cos your brakes are defective, cos that handbrake doesn't work...
The handbrake was working, mate. It is working.
What, so it's magically not worked since we stopped here?
I never had a problem. Not a chance. So the vehicle...
You know it's defective.
MICHAEL CHUCKLES
You left it off since it's been here, and it's on a slope.
Terrible. It just doesn't work.
A recovery truck's coming for the van,
and a taxi's coming for the driver and his mate.
What you gonna do with your stuff? I'll get someone to pick it up.
OK, all right.
Vehicle defects are a contributing factor
to more than 1,700 crashes in the UK.
Ten of those cause fatalities.
I am gonna contact the insurance company.
If I find you you're not insured,
you will be further reported for that.
Million percent, I'm insured. That's good. If you are insured, good.
So, those are the details you need to give
to get your vehicle back, all right?
Thanks very much. All right?
All right, take care of yourself.
Taking into account the fee to retrieve the van,
plus its repair bill, not to mention his fine,
the bloke will likely have to fork out upwards of a grand
if he ever wants to drive it again.
He can have that. That's a freebie from me.
Oh! Such generosity, Michael
I was out shopping, what, four days ago?
And I saw this van pull up alongside us,
and I saw the windscreen from where we were.
And I've done some checks,
and it come back untaxed and no MOT.
So I just put in an intel marker,
and we've got him stopped.
And the vehicle's in really poor condition.
He tried to tell me that the cracked windscreen happened today,
and I knew it happened way before then.
So I've reported him for driving the vehicle in dangerous condition.
We've got a handbrake that doesn't work.
We're out there looking for vehicles
that are in a dangerous condition or shouldn't be on the road.
So, our aim is to remove those from the carriageways
and make sure that these people get them fit and ready for the road.
After a few minutes, recovery arrives.
That handbrake definitely don't work.
RECOVERY MAN LAUGHS
And once the van's safely loaded up onto the truck,
there's just one more job for Michael.
'If the vehicle has no tax,
'it's not in roadworthy condition...'
OK. '..we're not gonna confirm cover.'
Quick chinwag with the bloke's insurance company.
'Our policies require them to have a valid MOT and tax.
'He's confirmed to us saying that the vehicle is taxed and MOT-ed.
'If it is not, it immediately invalidates his cover.'
It's further bad news for white van man.
You take care. Thank you.
'And you. Bye-bye.' Bye-bye.
Oh, dear. What a bummer.
So, they're not gonna insure him cos of the MOT and the tax.
Like he lied to us when we first turned up, he's lied again.
He's told them that it's taxed and MOT-ed, and it's not.
He's now going to be reported for three offences
that are gonna put points on his licence,
and he's lost the vehicle because of the condition of it.
It's a great result.
The driver pleaded guilty to no insurance, no MOT
and driving a dangerous vehicle.
He got six points on his licence and over £1,700 in fines.
So remember, folks, with Michael around,
skipping that MOT could prove very costly indeed.