JOHN THOMSON: This is Police Interceptors.
Get on the ground!
Police interceptors? In real life on?
I'm gonna tell my kids about this.
And you're riding with the pride of Northamptonshire.
Speed 1-2-0.
Ace pursuit drivers...
Contact, contact, contact. NPAS 5-1.
..with air support... Got two out, stand by.
Come on. ..and a crack dog unit.
If you move, you will get bit.
YELLING
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.
Crash, crash.
On the floor now!
Is what it is, innit? We find them, we lock them up.
Coming up...
..a tyre-popping pursuit.
Here, stop here, stop here.
Get on the floor! Get on the floor!
He doesn't know what he's doing.
The interceptors go invisible.
So, why haven't you stopped your car?
And police dog Bryn doesn't beat about the bush.
Police with a dog. Come out now! BARKING
The seven till seven Sunday night shift.
Behind the wheel of a marked BMW 340 is James Brooks,
alongside co-pilot Harrison Beverley.
We're on the north side of the county tonight, with Brooksie.
Yeah, we've worked together quite a bit, haven't we? Yeah.
Last time we worked together, we got... Vehicle got rammed.
SIGHS He's gonna... He's moving.
CRASH, SHOUTING
SIREN WAILS
Get out the car now! Get out the car!
Get on the floor!
So, we'll try and not do that tonight, but we'll...
We'll see. We'll see what happens.
See what happens. Famous last words. Yeah.
Buckle up...
One-four, we're Wilby Way at the minute.
..because reports are coming in from CCTV operators
about an attempted stabbing in Kettering.
We've had a vehicle which has been seen on camera
with some lads in it with knives, trying to attack someone.
They've got back in this vehicle and driven off at speed.
We've got multiple units heading there now,
so fingers crossed we can get it stopped.
It's believed the group of knife-wielding suspects
have fled the scene in a grey Vauxhall Corsa,
which another unit tracked down nearby.
ON RADIO:
Riding in the middle of the road,
the suspects are dead set on making a getaway.
Flying over a junction into a residential street,
the driver hits the gas.
All available units are en route to intercept.
We're gonna be closest to them.
The Corsa is racing towards James and Harrison...
Oh, they're coming past us. They're coming past us here, mate.
..head on.
Oh, shit!
A ramming at this speed could have been carnage...
but the desperate driver hangs a last-minute left...
..taking the pursuit through the back roads.
James and Harrison move in to position as car two.
Narrow down here, mate, just for awareness.
Bit bumpy as well, but you'll be all right.
Harrison's dream day out would be a serene walk
in the North Yorkshire countryside, with his dogs and family.
RATTLING
This evening, he'll have to settle for a rally
through the gravel tracks with Brooksie and the Beamer.
Comes back out on the 509, this vehicle.
Back on the tarmac, the driver is upping the ante.
Try as they might,
the suspects can't shake the growing convoy of interceptors.
So the alleged knifeman decides to try their luck off-road.
ON RADIO:'How far away...?'
He's gone back towards Bugsby now, mate.
'Vehicle's gone off-road, down the footpath.'
No need for a Satnav with Bev-nav riding shotgun.
Right, right, right, right.
The team get all escape routes covered.
Could be here, could be on the right side here, mate.
Potential come out. I don't know where it's gonna come out here.
'Has he gone under the footpath, the bit that goes underneath?'
But not for long.
The bandit car has taken an off-road battering.
Bev-nav re-routes.
Right, right. Clear left, clear left.
Other units top and tail the target, treating it to a two-car box.
Four suspects are out and running.
'Decamp, decamp!'
ON RADIO:
JOHN THOMSON: Following an attempted stabbing in Kettering,
interceptors are pursuing the getaway car.
It's been high speed... Oh, they're coming past us.
..almost head on... Oh, shit! Shit.
..down gravel tracks...
RATTLING
..completely off-road.
And in a last ditch attempt to escape the law...
..four suspects have legged it.
One is heading straight towards James and Harrison.
Watch out here. On the right. On the right here.
Here, stop here, stop here, stop here.
Get on the floor! Get on the floor! Get on the floor!
Get on the floor! Get on the floor!
Give me your hands, give me your hands.
Give me your hands, now! Get on your front!
SIREN WAILS
Get up. I haven't done anything.
HORN HONKS Hello, mate.
Where Lloyd is, just down there, by the car on the right-hand side.
The dog unit and police helicopter are deployed
to look for the other runners.
There has been a large knife located inside the vehicle as well.
What am I under arrest for?
At the minute, attempted GBH and possession of a bladed article.
Harrison and James' catch is just 16 years old.
Can you unloosen this one a little bit?
Cos it's, like... That's as loose as it needs to be.
That one's hurting my wrist, though. They're not pink and fluffy.
They're not designed for comfort.
But the second we can sort 'em out, we will do.
Tell you what, if I spin his hand round...
I'm trying to sort it out for you, mate.
One suspect in the bag so far is a win.
However, it's not only the bandit car that's taken a battering.
Think I might have a puncture as well.
A bumpy ride on the pot holes has taken its toll
on the Beamer's low-profile tyres.
It's hissing so... have to sort that out.
Might be able to limp it back.
The Beamer started the night
with a PSI - or pounds per square inch tyre pressure - of 38.
24 PSI, Sergeant. You might just get there.
Fingers crossed.
Another unit will take the suspect to custody,
so James can get the Beamer back to the nick
before it develops a no-profile tyre.
Good skills, though, on that back road, cos that is a horrific road.
Slippy. Yeah.
We've only got one at the minute. The helicopter's still up.
The dog's out tracking still.
It's frustrating not to get everyone,
but at least we managed to stop the car.
There'll be forensics in it.
We've got one of the offenders, so...
no damage to the police vehicles apart from... a little popped tyre,
so we'll take it.
Three more suspects were identified and arrested.
One was sent back to prison on recall,
one was convicted of threatening behaviour,
and another pleaded guilty to having a knife.
Harrison's catch was released without charge.
As for Harrison, James, and the limping BMW 340...
15 PSI, I think we made it back on.
To be fair, that's what happens when we go off-roading in a 340!
Northamptonshire Police Dog Section boasts 13 highly-trained handlers,
each armed with the creme de la creme of the canine world.
BARKING
Handler Lucy Sculthorpe is crewed
with drugs, cash, and firearms-sniffer spaniel Socks...
Indication?
Good boy!
Under there.
..as well as the German shepherd super-tracker, Bryn.
BARKING
I think in terms of... certainly, police dogs that I've had,
Bryn's the best tracking dog.
He just seems to have a natural ability for it,
and he also seems to really enjoy it.
To him, it's a game. You know, he finds somebody at the end,
and he either gets a bite reward or the ball, and he just loves it.
He loves the game, and he loves finding people.
Up in the north of the county, interceptors are attempting
to pull over an uninsured Land Rover Defender.
But it's sporting the unmistakable aroma of cannabis.
It's touch-and-go as to whether this driver is going to stop.
Despite his hesitation, he parks up for a chat
with Ian "Bomber" Bayliss and the sarge.
Has the vehicle got insurance? It's on trade policy.
Have you got any proof of that? Can you get it on your phone?
I've got it on my phone, yeah. Should have.
The trio inside seem only too happy to help...
..until the driver has a change of heart...
You boys over here, then.
..and slips away, leaving his two passengers behind.
Can I go and get him? No. No.
Listen, I ain't got no weed, I'll go get him.
Put your hands behind your back.
SIREN WAILS
Cue Lucy, Socks and Bryn.
So, we're going, and there's another crew going,
just to see if we can find the driver.
Obviously, he needs to be dealt with for the no insurance offence,
and then apparently, there's quite a strong smell of cannabis
coming from the vehicle as well.
So it might be that we can use Bryn to track the driver,
and then we also might be able to use Socks to search the car,
see if we can find any drugs in there.
He's holding me down.
Back at the scene, Bomber's got his hands full.
Both passengers are detained for a search.
You've both got a fair bit of cash on you.
You never know when you're gonna to get stranded, do you?
They might be loaded, but it's not with drugs.
We've got no reason to run, buddy, know what I mean?
We can smell the weed down the road, so we'll search the car.
If there's nothing else in it,
we'll get your details and we'll cut you two loose. Yeah.
All right? But we're having the vehicle away. Yeah.
The lads claim they've made a 30-mile trip from Peterborough
to play snooker.
There's a police dog coming, right? Yeah.
Your mate is gonna end up getting bit, probably.
Now the driver is playing a risky game of hide and seek...
BARKING
..Bryn's favourite.
It's this car, is it? Yeah. Yeah.
He's literally... I've watched him go up first left, Luce. Cheers.
Bryn, go and track.
And he's off.
In Lucy's 15 years of catching criminals,
she says the best words of wisdom she's ever received
is to always trust your dog.
Bryn is armed with a sense of smell estimated to be
at least 10,000 times more sophisticated than a human's.
Track on.
Odds are, the driver is already snookered.
Right. Police with a dog. Come out! Come out!
Police with a dog. Come out now!
Do you hear me? Come out from the bushes now!
BARKING
Do not run. Do not run away!
BRYN BARKS
Watch him. Watch him.
I reckon we just found him, you know. Do you reckon?
I bet there's not a lot that gets away, is there?
Chalk up another win for Bryn.
Yes! Clever lad! Good boy! Good lad!
Only a short trek, but... I was fairly confident
there was somebody here because of how he was acting around there.
I think he was very head up,
and then as soon as we've got on the grass,
he's zipped down here and found him hiding in the bush.
So good lad! What a good boy!
A quick pat down reveals the source of that smell.
Got cannabis on you.
OK, at this moment in time,
you're under arrest for driving with no licence,
no insurance, and possession of class B.
Will you be willing to provide me with a road-side sample
for a drug wipe test?
Yes or no?
Bryn's find is refusing the drug wipe.
And the super tracker has sniffed out
something else in the bushes.
Ah, mobile phone. There we go.
That'll be why Bryn wanted to get back in the bush.
He's obviously left his phone in there,
potentially, for a reason, so... we'll seize that.
Do you know what?
The best thing is when you get the person that you're after,
and that the dog has facilitated that.
That's the absolute best bit of my job. It's why I do it.
Yeah, did you give my name? SUSPECT:Huh?
Did you give my name? I ain't said nothing.
OFFICER:We're gonna find out who you are anyway, so...
Yeah, we will do, yeah. Ultimately, if you don't tell us...
Listen, do your... job, mate. I ain't talking to you.
Go... yourself. Are you the big man now?
Stop... Does it look like I want to talk to you? Shut...
To be honest with you,
the smell of the cannabis was so strong,
we could tell it was definitely coming from that vehicle
cos it followed us everywhere, it followed everywhere we went.
He's got a fair bit on him,
but we'll see if he wants to provide a sample.
I mean, I suspect he's probably had a few drinks.
If he's got the cannabis on him, he... he's probably had a smoke.
So we'll find out when we get him to custody what he wants to do.
Before they head off to custody, it's Sock's cue to get to work.
There's obviously a suspicion
that there might be some more in the car.
And if there is, then hopefully,
the quickest way to find it is with Socks,
who's trained on drugs, cash and firearms.
So he'll find any naughty things that are in there.
Seek, find.
Check, check.
Has he been breathalysed?
He's refused. Oh, has he?
Seek, find.
Go on. Up. Seek, find. Seek, find.
He's very interested in here,
but the whole thing smells of cannabis, doesn't it? So...
But I'm happy there's no other drugs in there.
Just be seized for no insurance.
And he's obviously gone on his way to custody.
And Brad's grooming my dog for me.
LUCY CHUCKLES
Look at his face!
CHUCKLING CONTINUES
Oh, Socks, come here.
The driver's snooker buddies
are free to start the long walk home to Peterborough...
..leaving the driver to the post-game interview at custody.
Have you, since the time of the alleged offence,
consumed or used any of the following things,
and if so, what?
Any alcohol or other drink?
Have you taken anything?
So, do you agree to provide a specimen for sample?
If not, we'll take that as a fail to provide
and you'll be charged with the offence of failing to provide.
Nope? Lovely. Right, done, thank you.
The defender-offender pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen,
driving without insurance and possession of cannabis.
He was banned from the roads for 17 months,
handed a 12-month community order
and racked up £399 in fines and costs.
Coming up... No, don't pull my leg.
I'm not under arrest. You're not under arrest, no.
A good Samaritan at one job...
This chap here in the Ford Ranger.
..ends up a drink-driving suspect at the next.
Keep going, keep going. Stop. It'll be over.
Let's see what it comes back as. It'll be over, mate.
And...I've offered him a lift home if he'll tell me where he lives.
It doesn't look like Callum will be getting a five-star rating.
Your driving wasn't good.
JOHN THOMSON: Working a chilly Saturday early shift
are Harrison and Sam.
I... I'll say, my alarm clock didn't go off this morning,
so at 6:20, I rolled over in bed and went, "Ah."
6:20? 6:20.
Oh, shut up, man. So...
I'd left 20 minutes before then!
I was like, "I'll have a bit of a lie-in."
I was 5:20.
I moved to the other room cos of the dog, his tail wagging.
Then he brought me his toys to start playing, I was like, "Ugh."
And it's been all go from there.
It's only 8:00AM, and a serious job is coming in.
Strange. It started off as a, erm...
came in as a robbery, chap with a head injury,
two phones being nicked,
but I think he's in and out of consciousness.
Sounds a bit nasty.
Not what you expect first thing on a Saturday morning,
but ambulance haven't given an ETA at the minute.
So we've just been asked to make it down with fast aid
just to assess him, basically, see if we can help.
30 seconds.
Roads Policing Interceptors have advanced first aid training...
..skills which could prove vital until paramedics are on scene.
Oh, you've got a bandage. Yeah, what do you want?
Mate, I'm gonna put a bandage over there, all right?
No, it's up here. All right, mate.
Oh, stay awake, stay awake. That's it, buddy.
Come on, wakey, wakey!
Harrison tries to stem the bleeding from wounds on the victim's head...
You keep speaking to us, all right?
..as an ambulance crew arrives.
Keep breathing, please. Keep breathing.
It's cold, I know, your hand.
Local residents are also stepping in to help the injured man.
Why is everyone grabbing me? No, no-one's grabbing you.
What's going on? What are they around me for?
I know he's probably drank something.
Has he taken anything else? Don't think so. Don't think so?
I'm not moving till I have a cigarette.
One second.
The victim is becoming increasingly agitated...
No, no. Don't pull my leg. Babe, babe...
I'm under arrest, so... You're not under arrest, no.
..and will be rushed to hospital for assessment.
I'm not lifting my leg.
Every minute or so, he just goes blank,
then he starts shouting again.
It's just concerning that he's got a serious head injury.
The scene is taped off for further investigation
into the alleged robbery,
and Harrison and Sam get back on the road.
Although they don't get far.
Officers at the last scene have called in the next job.
So, basically, the incident we've just been to in town,
the chap that's... assisted with that,
this chap up here in the Ford Ranger,
the officers weren't convinced if he'd had a drink or not
but couldn't... couldn't smell any alcohol
but we're just not convinced by his general demeanour.
Given the time of morning, given the size of the vehicle,
we'll just give it a stop
and just see if he's in order, driving-wise.
CAR HORN HONKS
HONKING CONTINUES
Get him ready for the breath test if you're happy to do that.
Hiya. Have you got a sec?
The reason we've stopped you, officers raised concern on the scene
that you may be under the influence of alcohol. Me?
The bystander had nothing to do with the man's injuries.
Although his behaviour has landed him in the spotlight
as a suspected drink driver.
I have just smelt some alcohol as you've walked towards me.
Have you had a drink? Yeah, last night.
Last night? How much did you have to drink?
Oh, please don't do this to me.
How much did you have to drink last night?
Er, quite a lot. Quite a lot.
Probably a bottle of wine. A bottle of wine.
Do you wanna come to the back of the car?
Yeah, this is my life over. It's your life over?
When was the last time you had an alcoholic drink?
Er, ten o'clock. No, probably later.
Later than ten o'clock last night? About midnight? OK. Yeah.
Eight hours later, he could still be over the limit, which is 35.
Blow steadily and evenly in that until I tell you stop, all right?
It'll be 34.
Well, that's under, then, so you'll be fine.
Keep going, keep going, keep going, stop.
It'll be over. Let's see... It'll be over, mate.
I've just lost my job.
You haven't blown anything yet, so... let's see what it blows.
Let's see what it returns. Oh, come on.
Just... BREATHALYSER BEEPS
OK, that's a fail. I know it's a fail.
OK, you've blown 64.
OK, so the time is now 8:30, and you're currently under arrest
for driving whilst over the prescribed limit, OK?
OFFICER READS RIGHTS
Put your hands out in front. I've been done before.
Done for drink-driving before? Please, you don't need to do that.
I do. If you've been done for drink-driving before,
you should know better.
Can you just please ring my wife? She's...
I'm meant to be picking her up in a bit.
The drunk driver was setting off on a 140-mile journey to Portsmouth
almost twice over the limit.
SUSPECT SOBS I'm now screwed. Absolutely screwed.
Mercifully, Harrison is taking the two-tonne truck off the road.
Regardless of whether you helped, you still made a conscious choice
to get behind the wheel of your truck
when you were over the limit, didn't you?
Yes, stupidly, and that's my mistake.
So... But it's not only that.
I can't believe one of them didn't say, "Do you know what?
"I smell alcohol on your breath, mate.
"When was the last time you had a drink?"
He let me up the road.
INAUDIBLE
It's your choice. You just... You can only enforce the law.
The fact of the matter is, you've got to take
some personal responsibility for this, haven't you?
Recent figures for Great Britain show
that fatalities as a result of drink-driving are at a 12-year high,
with around 260 people killed in collisions
involving someone over the limit.
Zero sympathy.
We went to one of these last night which is... it's a fatal collision.
It's not something...
He can blame the police all he wants in terms of stopping him.
He's an adult, he's made his decision to drive today.
It's a massive car, it's a massive truck.
If he hits anyone,
he's gonna cause significant harm or injury or even worse.
So it's good to stop him
and hopefully get him off the road for today at least.
Harrison needs to let the drink driver's family know
that the road trip to Portsmouth is off.
Hello. My name's PC Beverley
from the Roads Police team in Northamptonshire. Are you OK?
I've been done for drink-driving!
He's gonna have to come to the police station.
Yeah, sorry too, for ruining any plans that you have.
He can speak to you later. It's not an issue.
I just... I understand he's on the way to pick you up,
but unfortunately, that won't be happening.
Next destination for this driver is custody.
I appreciate it's the night after,
you might not think he's drink-driving,
but his demeanour the second he got out of that vehicle
at the road side, he fully suspected he was gonna be over,
and if you think that, the simple answer is don't drive.
What a start to the morning. It's only 9:50. I know.
CUSTODY SERGEANT:Good morning.
It's not a good morning. I get that. I get that.
I've helped police officers out in an incident,
and I still took the choice to get in the car and drive.
And I didn't realise I was over the limit.
I suspected I was.
And they still let me out of a scene and drive away.
They've got a breathalyser on that van.
I breathalyse myself every morning before I drive.
Cos I drive for a living.
A DIY breathalyser is a shaky defence.
Harrison introduces the driver to the real deal.
Keep going, keep going, keep going. Perfect, thank you.
That's your first one done. Take a seat for me.
It's 9:27. First sample provided.
I drive for a living. I have ruined it all.
Two samples of breath are taken.
Keep going, keep going.
And the lowest reading will be used as evidence.
69/71. You're going up.
At around double the limit, it's a fail.
I know people struggle in their lives,
I know that people have got a lot going on,
which we can safeguard people to a point with.
However, we see first-hand
the devastating effect what drink drivers can cause.
It's a big vehicle.
If that hits you, he's probably gonna be OK.
The vehicle which he hits may not be.
Saturday morning, it'll be busy on the roads,
so... no sympathy, no.
After pleading guilty to drink-driving,
the man was sentenced to a 17-month driving ban...
..and ordered to pay a fine and costs totalling £1,725.
Losing your driving licence
isn't always down to breaking the law.
All drivers over the age of 70
have to renew their licence every three years.
And the DVLA can revoke a licence on medical grounds.
With older drivers, they've been driving for a number of years.
They consider themselves to be safe.
However, their reaction time could be impaired and things like that.
So, if someone's had their licence revoked,
in essence, they really shouldn't be behind the wheel.
You're driving effectively a weapon
that can cause serious harm if not death,
so it has to be taken seriously.
That's bad, innit?
MOT expires in November.
Ought to get an earlier one.
Jesus.
He would not do very well in a ULEZ zone, would he?
Once the air has cleared,
interceptors Callum Donaghue and Rachel McCready
turn their attention to looking for a motor with a marker.
It has a revoked refused driving licence.
It should be coming past us shortly.
We're waiting for a red Kia Sportage.
OYR? Yeah.
One red Kia Sportage firmly on their radar.
Oh, boy. SHE CHUCKLES
Pulling ahead of the elderly driver,
they try the gentle approach to stopping him.
Go for it.
Using the unmarked Volvo's rear matrix board
to ask the driver to follow them.
Really? Really?
He's overtaking the interceptors.
I don't think he's got a driving licence.
Er...
Doesn't really know what he's doing, does he? No.
The gentle approach had no effect, so Callum tries a noisier one.
HONKS HORN, SIRENS BLARE
HONKS HORN
Is he...? He might be.
HONKS HORN
Can you stick a "stay back" on the matrix?
I haven't got a clue what he's doing.
If this is a fail-to-stop, then advanced driver Callum,
who's trained in pursuits and stinger,
is the man to handle it.
If he doesn't come off at the next one, we'll call it in.
Yeah.
Rachel even tries a good old-fashioned hand signal.
But the Kia driver sails past the next exit.
Romeo-Papa-six-one.
Got a very slow vehicle failing to stop,
A45 westbound towards junction 15.
Worryingly, he's heading for the M1.
Intel to suggest driver's got a revoked driving licence.
We've tried a follow-me board, he's ignored it.
We've been past the last four junctions,
approaching the services now,
and he hasn't made any attempt to stop.
Motoring on to the M1...
He's seeing it now. Yeah.
He just looked in his mirror.
..this fail-to-stop is reaching the five-minute mark.
Six-one, we're lane one of four, speed is 6-0.
Back-up is arriving.
The next approach is to try and corral Kia driver
into one of the emergency areas on the smart motorway.
Six-one, we're down to 4-0 miles an hour now.
And it looks like the plan is finally working.
94 over eight, we're into the ERA bay.
No-one's in a live lane.
OFFICER: Are you deaf? Yeah.
What's the problem?
We've been telling you to stop and you haven't.
I'll leave it with you. Thank you. Thank you. Hello, sir.
The reason we've stopped you...
Have you got your driving licence on you?
No. No? Where is it?
DVLA.
The DVLA? Yeah.
Why have they got your driving licence?
So, why haven't you stopped your car?
So, I pulled in front of you with a follow-me sign on my car,
you've overtaken me.
We've then been sat behind you for the last ten minutes
with blue lights and sirens going, and you've made no attempt to stop.
You can't say you couldn't see us
cos we were in front of you at one point with the blue lights on.
Yeah, yeah, I know that. So why did you drive around me?
A quick check on police systems
confirms this is the 82-year-old driver they were looking for.
OK, so, you haven't got a driving licence at the minute,
cos they've taken it off you.
So why are you driving?
I'm not gonna nick you.
We'll be taking the car off you, though.
I don't think you're safe to be on the roads.
This is getting worse and worse.
But you're not fit to drive... which is evident...
That's your opinion, saying that.
It's evidence. That's you, sir, that.
It's evidenced by the fact you haven't stopped for police
for the last ten minutes.
All right.
It's a conversation to be continued
in the safety of the service station.
OK, just jump in there for me.
Callum hops behind the wheel of the Kia,
and Rachel takes the Volvo.
I've dealt with a few older gentlemen who...
..have been quite keen to keep their driving licences.
It's their last bit of independence.
It's not all about taking them off the road
cos he's committed a road traffic offence,
but it's also from a welfare perspective.
He shouldn't be driving. He's...
He was quite clearly confused.
And it's things like that that can cause quite serious collisions.
I mean, the M1 is... it's quite a fast motorway,
and the last thing we need is someone who's not fit to drive
driving on the motorway causing a collision.
Reaching the services, it seems Callum's in the bad books.
I've offered him a lift home if he'd tell me where he lives.
But I think ever since I called him a rubbish driver,
he's decided to start ignoring me so see how far Rach gets with him.
Hello, sir.
Do you live at Buckthorn? Yeah.
Yeah, you do? OK.
That was quick.
Your driving wasn't good.
So, my colleague's an advanced driver.
So am I. I've been driving... I don't think you are.
I've been driving since I were about 18. OK.
I'm not taking that away from you,
but your driving standard now, especially today, wasn't very good.
And the DVLA have obviously revoked your licence for a reason.
No, they didn't.
It's been revoked, and it's been revoked for quite some time.
Rachel reports the disagreeable driver for failing to stop
and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.
I'm not answering any more questions.
That's OK. No problem at all.
What we need to do is
we just need to wait for your vehicle to be recovered,
and then we'll, er, figure out how we're gonna get you home.
I will. Don't worry.
Just based on his age,
he's too vulnerable to leave in the services.
He's got no-one else who can come and pick him up.
Which means his taxi driver this afternoon will be... Callum.
Can you jump in here, sir?
Strange fail-to-stop. I've not had one that slow before.
He's very much aware that he's not supposed to be driving,
and I think he's just quite annoyed that he's been caught.
So good job in the fact that we've got him off the road,
for his safety and everyone else's.
But, yeah, just need to get him home safe now.
For driving with a revoked licence,
the 82-year-old received three penalty points,
if he gets his licence back.
He also paid a £100 fine,
along with a £50 fine for failing to stop for the police.
Still to come... Don't know how he's turned it on.
It's all hands on deck...
I think you're just pulling my foot, Paul.
..to start a stolen motor.
Clearly, I don't have the car-thief skillset, do I?
What was that?
JOHN THOMSON: Car thefts rose by almost 5% in Britain last year,
with over 64,000 cars being reported stolen.
That's the equivalent of one precious motor being nicked
every eight minutes.
Tracking down stolen vehicles is no easy feat,
but this afternoon, dog handler Ash Price has a lead.
So, you've got a... vehicle's activated cameras on the motorway
that's coming down into our force area from Leicestershire, I believe,
that's been stolen in an aggravated TWOC
that happened yesterday.
Whoever is behind the wheel of the stolen red Vauxhall Astra...
..probably isn't expecting a blue-light welcome
from Northamptonshire's finest.
We've got a car on every motorway junction now.
They've crashed the car into something else to get away.
So... already kind of shown an element of recklessness
and willingness to escape.
If the suspect tries to escape today...
..the team are planning to greet them with a TPAC or multi-car box.
It's only a matter of time...
It's junction 15.
..until a firearms unit spot the Astra five miles up ahead.
Just let that ARV push past us.
We've got one ARV behind it,
another one in front of us catching up, and then us as well.
It's doing 70.
So should be able to get on to it, I think.
While Ash and other units put pedal to the metal to catch up,
news comes in from the front.
So, originally, it was gonna be a three-car box,
or a multi-vehicle box on the motorway,
but the vehicle's not changed its manner of driving at all
with the marked vehicle behind it.
So I think... they're gonna go for a "follow-me" and a compliant.
It sounds like the driver is playing ball.
However, the same can't be said for the rain.
The weather now, though.
So, they've just passed... the Newport Pagnell services.
So we should be on top of them imminently.
No chance of rain stopping play here.
So, this is the vehicle here, just in front of this van.
Three units surround the stolen red Astra and light it up.
We've just got a traffic mobile
that's putting a bit of safety on for us just in case.
But the suspect driver takes part in a textbook compliant stop.
It's a swift job.
A suspected car thief in cuffs.
And a stolen car recovered.
Although there is a slight hitch.
The Astra's key has snapped.
No. Don't know how he's turned it on.
How has he started it? Unless he's wedged it in there.
Oh, yes. Hang on.
Have you got your foot on the clutch? Yeah.
It's doing something.
Dunno how he's turned it on.
Do you want me to go and ask him how he starts it? Yeah, go on.
The suspected car thief
is taking a compliant stop to a whole new level.
In the process of stealing that car, I think he snapped the key.
But there's a... car thief's trick, I guess,
into starting a vehicle with a stolen key
that he's trying to demonstrate while in handcuffs.
HE LAUGHS
What's he... What's he doing? He's done it.
Hey, get him back. What's going on?
He's had his chance.
MAN:Is it on, mate? Yeah, it's not working.
Oh, mate, you've had your chance. It'll be fine, we'll sort it.
You couldn't start it either, to be fair.
ASH LAUGHS
Ash gives it another go.
Oh, please work. Please work.
I'm getting underneath here.
I'm pressing something there, but I don't know what.
Rather than call out a recovery truck...
I can feel something moving.
Oh, not that, that's for sure.
..the team would rather get the Astra moving.
I think you're just pulling my foot, Paul, if I'm honest with you.
Clearly, I don't have the car-thief skillset, do I,
to start the stolen vehicle?
As the saying goes, if at first, you don't succeed...
It's just annoying me now that we can't do it.
..try...
Yeah.
..and try again.
What was that?
Keep doing that.
Oh! Oh-ho-ho!
Just needed a woman's touch. THEY LAUGH
We celebrated way too much with that.
SHE LAUGHS
It's celebrations all round.
The victim was reunited with their stolen motor.
And the suspect pleaded guilty
to driving without a licence or insurance
and got six points on any future licence.
He received no further action
for the alleged aggravated vehicle-taking or burglary.
Teamwork. Teamwork.