Wrong Place Wrong Time Traffic Cops

is in the wrong place. All I see is the driver coming through the air

by the side of me. And a drink driver has gone shopping at the

wrong time. I understand you've got a problem with your throat, however

you can still breathe fine. She's upset with us because we've caught

her. If you get behind the wheel of a car and you've been drinking,

then as far as I'm concerned you're fair game, I'm coming after you.

There are no real excuses for causing an accident, but two of the

most commonly used ones for bad driving are tiredness and running

late, which is why the morning rush-hour can be a treacherous time

Today in Luton, PC Sam Sparks and Shona Gillon are up early keeping

tabs on the traffic. Shona has spotted another cause of accidents,

someone using their mobile phone. He's off it now. Worth a chat with

anyway. This one here? He had something up to his ear. The Corsa

driver will be given a ticket whether he was actually having a

conversation with someone or not. You don't have to be making a call

to use your mobile phone. You can have it in your hand, you can be

looking at something on there, then you're using your mobile phone. You

don't have to be texting or calling, and that's what the public need to

understand because it's drawing their attention away from their

driving so then you're driving without due care and attention, and

you won't be in proper control of your vehicle. Any idea why I might

have stopped you? No. No? Where is your phone? The man is doing the

school run. You just follow me into the nursery club, put them in

nursery and then you can deal with me. No, two minutes. We'll deal

with you now. Had any cannabis this morning? No, not this morning.

was the last time you had some? Yesterday, day before. Because I

can smell some. Sam has got a keen nose for trouble. My colleague is

going to go through your car because I've got a very strong

smell of cannabis coming from you. All right? Now is a good time to

tell me if there's anything in there. There's a joint in my bag.

Just the one? Shona, a joint in his bag. Where is your bag? If he was

possibly using cannabis prior to driving or whilst driving, he could

have been under the influence of drugs while driving his motor

vehicle, which is a serious offence. Sit down, girls. Two minutes and

they'll be fine. That's hardly booster seating, is it? That's it,

that's all I've got. Yes? Cool. There was a spliff in the bag, a

joint of cannabis, which in itself isn't a lot but bear in mind that

bag was on the back seat with his two young children. Sam is going to

have the car searched in case there's any more. We'll get another

unit here because I can smell it and you've given me that small bit

of cannabis. The driver will be searched as well but they need male

help for that. If it's two females and we've stopped a male, we're not

able to physically search him so we need the divisional unit to come

along and carry out the search for us. Savage. S A V A G E? Yes.

What's your first name? Leon. middle name, Leon? No. Date of

birth? Do you know what, let me give you my real name instead of

messing about. My name is James McCann. Do you know what? I've got

no insurance on this car. OK. Good answer. What's your name? James?

James McCann. James, come and take a seat in the back of my car.

insurance means the car will be seized under section 165 of the

Road Traffic Act, or operation camphor as they call it. The driver

will be quizzed about it and the phone. In the meantime, Shona has

got some babysitting to do. Sweetheart, can you just lean in.

If you want look out of the window, look out of that one because the

cars are going past. I don't want you getting hurt. You see the

police car behind? He's in that car there.

The kids were absolutely lovely. They're typical one and four year

olds. They just wanted their daddy but once you started talking to

them about cartoons and kids' programmes, they'll interact with

you because you're speaking to them and they understand what you're

talking about. I'll sing Upsy Daisy! It's more whoopsie daisy

than Upsy Daisy for the girls' dad. James, do you have a driving

licence? Provisional. I think you realise that was all going to go

horribly wrong, didn't you? I did. Don't worry about it, we'll sort it

mate. Yeah. Like I say, thanks for your honesty. You could have gone

down that horrible route of getting yourself arrested. Sign there for

Once you've gone down the line of lying to us by giving false details,

you commit the offence of perverting the course of justice

which is a serious imprisonable offence.

Why are you driving without a licence or insurance? Why? Because

I have to get the kids to nursery, like an idiot. Were you displaying

any L-plates? No. Look. They'll be fine. She'll stop them, honestly.

He was stopped initially for using his mobile phone, for which he'll

get three points and a �60 fine, and he was reported for the offence

of driving otherwise in accordance with the licence because he was a

provisional licence holder, and no insurance, and without displaying

L-plates. I'll ring you back in a bit because I'm in the police car.

She's in the car, she's all right. I can see her. I'll ring you back

in a minute. As well as driving illegally and being on his phone,

the man is breaking the law by not having proper car seats for his

children. So, if he were to have an accident with no insurance and it

was quite a nasty accident, he'd be losing both his children as well.

While Sam and Shona may have sniffed out a motorist violating

traffic laws with a spliff, there's a specialist squad in Bedfordshire

whose job it is to track down the more serious drugs and drug dealers,

the ANPR intercept squad. ANPR is the automatic numberplate

recognition, new-age technology and fighting crime. The technology

reeds numberplates, gives us a heads up in relation to any

intelligence on individuals or the vehicles being used. PC Martin Lent

and the team have got some intelligence about a dealer in a

Ford Mondeo who has been spotted in Bedford town centre. Tim, do you

want me to go in front of it? team do their hunting in a pack.

They've got three intercept cars out today. We're going to go in

front of it. Stop. The suspected drug dealer has been caught by

surprise. He's no idea what's going on. We tend to find that, by

stopping the vehicle as quick as we can, almost pounce on it, it gives

the occupants very limited What's your name? You got anything

on you? BEEP. If you say you haven't and I find something, I'm

going to throw the book at you. Open your mouth. Spit it out.

You're under arrest, my friend. Search. Any more in there? No, no.

Open up for me. Open up. Put your head back. Yes, you have. Get it

out. Spit it out. I haven't got nothing. Swallowed it. Stand up.

swear! OK. That was for my personal use, officer man. Really, why did

you put it in your mouth? Have you got him? Dealers take a big risk

carrying drugs in their mouths, necking several wraps of heroin to

avoid being caught can have serious consequences. Come with me, mate.

I'd just got a lift off him. Unfortunately you're guilty by

association. The passenger in the car is being arrested as well, even

though he's claiming he's completely innocent. Please, mate.

You've got to come back to the nick to be searched. If there's nothing

in the search you'll be released straightaway. I, over the years,

have become a bit of a cynic. I like to err on the side of caution.

I always bring people in for the purpose of the drugs search because

I have the grounds to believe that he's got drugs on him. He was just

giving me a lift home but he went and stopped in Victoria Road to see

somebody, then he dropped me back and he was just going home. He had

to do a couple of things so I went with him like a fool. What's going

to happen, mate? You'll be booked into custody, you'll be strip-

searched, and then, depending on what happens from there, you'll be

interviewed. We can only do a preliminary search at the roadside

because anything further than that we have to respect the dignity and

we have to take them in and search them in private. While Martin takes

his prisoner somewhere private for the search, help has arrived for

Sam and Shona to search the driver they've stopped. My colleagues that

have just turned up in a Panda, they'll deal with you for that

small amount of cannabis you've got. Have you got any previous with

drugs? I have, yeah. How long ago? About two years maybe. Because he

had got a previous conviction for cannabis possession, he had to be

arrested and taken to the police station. You can't have two

cautions. Advice for children in the back, a

ticket for the phone, campered his vehicle. And that's not the end of

it. The officers searched the car and in the front passenger door

pocket was a small deal bag of amphetamines. Oh man! Let me phone

someone to get the kids. The man, who was only pulled over because he

was on his mobile phone, is now even more trouble. When you've got

kids bouncing around in the car and that's to hand, it makes you angry.

The children were the crux of this story. He had drugs in easy reach

of a four year-old and a one year- old. He hadn't even taken the care

to put them in the boot out of their reach.

The kids are quite happy, as you can see, at the moment. He's made a

phone call to mum and a friend that will hopefully come and get them.

They want to go to nursery but I'm not happy for him to walk up to

nursery because one of us will have to walk up. It's not fair to the

children, here or at the nursery, seeing them turn up with the police.

Driving and phoning has turned out to be very costly for the man. He's

losing his brand new car, and until he can sort out his insurance he

won't be able to get it back. you for being good. Come on then,

James. Let's get you sorted. As a parent myself, it's horrifying

to know that people are prepared to put their children in danger like

that. In Bedford, the other driver caught in his car with drugs has

been brought into the police station. Detention, first thing

obviously because we've spot checked the vehicle. I'm happy

about the spot check. The officer is saying that you produced from

your mouth a quantity of what you stated to be heroin. The officers

are saying that the same vehicle earlier on today was allegedly

dealing in drugs. There's the suspicion that these drugs were in

your possession with intention to supply. That's to be established

obviously in interview. Before that, the man is going to get a full body

search which can be authorised when looking for class A drugs such as

heroin or crack cocaine. Once that authorisation has been granted,

there's two officers of the same sex, they take this person into the

cell and we do a systematic search. They've come up empty-handed.

Everything that he had was probably in his mouth at the time. The man's

passenger will get the same treatment. It's not the best job in

the world but somebody has to do it. The most unpleasant part of it is

checking the genitalia. We don't touch them at all. We have a quick

look, they turn around, they squat just a little bit to make sure

there's nothing that's obvious which could be concealed, either in

the crack up the backside. This time they've come up trumps. His

bottom has got crack in it. They found 10 wraps of class A up his

backside. I'm not going to touch it too much, it's been up his bum. I'm

going to put it in the bag. Another of the unpleasant jobs in the life

of a traffic cop is dealing with bad accidents. Although, for

Sergeant Chris Smith, it's got a little easier over the years.

been in it now for 22 years so there's not of awful lot that fazes

you from that point of view after that length of service, but

occasionally one does. This evening, a report has come in have a crash

involving a car and a motorcyclist outside a garage in Dunstable.

don't know the injuries yet, apart from the fact he's got some sort of

leg injury. Which is considered to be quite serious.

When we got there, the scene was firmly contained. The casualty, who

was riding the bike, is already in the ambulance ready to go to the

local A&E. What are the injuries? We called out collision

investigation purely because initially I was told that there

could be pelvic injuries and of course we had to take that as being

Let's get some cones, first, I want this bit shut off. We don't know

the extent of his injuries. I want the garage shut off as well just

now. We'll get Bob to come down and do his bits and pieces, I think,

until we've got an update from hospital.

Bob, the crash detective, only comes out to the most serious

accidents, those in which people die or might suffer life-changing

injuries. To help him when he gets here, the road has got to be closed.

You have to protect as much as you possibly can to give them the best

chance of gaining the best evidence in case of any court appearance

later on. A young lad who was on a bicycle

witnessed what happened. And where did he come from? Behind

me, come from that direction. he's come up...? The lad's come

that way, it's pretty much stopped, though, cos it was just coming

through the petrol station. What did he try and do, come up the

inside of the Corsa? He tried to come up the inside of the road.

The young girl driver of the Corsa has been badly shaken up, but she

does not have any injuries. Her parents have come down to make sure

she was all right, and the Corsa was parked up in the garage

forecourt. Green Corsa, which is situated over there, was indicating

to come into the garage. I'd already passed that car and then

the bike... I didn't see it, but I heard the bike behind me and it

smashed and all I seen is the driver coming through the air by

the side of me. Yeah, and that's why I am still shaking. So it's not

that good... Mind my language, but I chit myself!

The rider had come off the bike and basically been thrown through the

air and landed on the carriageway. Is that your bike, is it? And that

wasn't involved at all? No, that's what I was on, riding! OK. Well,

you put your bike up and take it in there out the way, don't touch

anything, yeah? All the signs point to the car

driver being at fault for failing to see the oncoming bike. But all

might not be as first appears. Initially, it was my view that the

Corsa had been at fault, but obviously has more witnesses came

to light and they were talking about the motorcyclist, the manner

of his riding, it became apparent that perhaps it isn't all that

meets the eye. Bob, the crash investigator, has

arrived. It's his job to determine the exact sequence of events and

put a finger on who might be to blame.

We were a little bit limited, there, as well, because we had lost a

little bit of forensics, if you like, where the debris had been put,

because of traffic running over it. It doesn't tally, does it? You've

got debris starting from here going in that direction, which is OK,

that's fine. The bikes, you've got two different directions, haven't

you? It's not the easiest of investigations. The roads were very,

very wet and, of course, as the roads are wet, you are not left

with the marks on the roads which you are sometimes which, you know,

paint a fantastic picture on occasions.

But another theory about what happened is emerging.

From speaking to the witnesses and the drivers, the driver of the

Corsa, she had a passenger as well, they were saying as they pulled

into the petrol station they couldn't see the bike, they believe

he did not have his lights on. Corsa is turning right in... That

would make a bit more sense, then, wouldn't it? So if she's turned

right, he's gone over the top, which is why he's in the middle of

the road. Turning in, the bike's coming down towards us from this

direction and obviously he's made contact with the near side, the

rider's gone over the top now, which would fit with the rider

landing and finishing where he does. The garage's forecourt CCTV tallies

with Bob's conclusion that the car did turn into the path of the

oncoming bike. But she isn't going to be prosecuted.

In the eyes of the law, really, she would be at fault, she would be

liable for that collision, because she's pulled in front of the path

of the motorcyclist. However, she's got serious mitigation on the fact

that the motorcyclist allegedly didn't have any lights on.

News from hospital is that the rider needs to be operated on for a

hip injury, but isn't on the danger list. All that remains to be done

is clear up the scene, but just as the Corsa is being pulled onto the

recovery track, another woman driver has pulled on to the

forecourt. She took probably about five or six

attempts to get into a parking bay, which was on the far side of the

garage, and to say it was the worst bit of parking we've ever seen was

an understatement. The cops think the woman might have

been drinking. If she has, she's picked precisely the wrong place

and the wrong time to come and do her shopping.

There was a marked traffic car there, marked collision

investigation police van on there, marked specials police van on there,

and a panda car. Looks like she's possibly collided with a few things.

And we went in and found her in the wine aisle, so we invited her back

out of the premises. We didn't want to breathalyse her inside the

garage. She was absolutely stinking of drink.

We're just going to give you a breath test, all right? Nice, deep

breath and just blow into this until I tell you to stop, OK? Nice,

deep breath. Blow harder. Blow harder. No, you're going to have to

blow a lot harder. There's a problem. Laryngitis... You've got

laryngitis? OK. Shall we try it again? "I've got laryngitis, I

can't talk". It doesn't stop you blowing, though.

Listen, listen, OK? I've seen you drive, all right, I've seen you

drive, and due to the manner of your walking across there and the

fact that I can smell alcohol on your breath, gives us ground to

request a breath specimen, OK? If you fail or refuse, it is an

offence for which you will be arrested. My colleagues have given

you plenty of opportunities, we will give you one more opportunity.

If you fail to provide then, you will be arrested and you will go to

the police station, OK? So nice, deep breath, blow into the box

until we tell you to stop, and then hopefully you will be under, go and

get your shopping and get yourself off home, all right? Yeah. I feel

sick. Deep breath... I understand you're trying, and I understand

you've got a problem with your throat, however, you can still

breathe fine, so there's no reason why you can't blow.

Most of my career I've been on traffic, and so I've dealt with an

awful lot of drink drivers. You know when somebody is trying it on,

you knew she was trying it on. Sorry... (INAUDIBLE). You're going

to have to go to the police station and get a blood sample, then, if

you can't blow. I think... Just come and take a seat in the back of

the car. She failed to provide on the roadside, so she was arrested.

All of a sudden, she is no longer lost for words. Get into the car...

Don't push me around, I'm married to a policeman for 28 years...

Fantastic. Don't... Don't do that. You're getting in the car. Put the

cuffs on. Oh, get stuffed! It's not open for debate, my love, OK?

We can do it the easy way or we can do it the hard way, all right?

Let's do it the easy way. She went from quite a vulnerable,

lone female on her own, to being quite a vocal, abusive female.

arrogant. All right, I'm kissed off at the

moment, that's all. Your voice has got better. Oh, how wonderful! Do

you want me to sing to you like Katherine Jenkins?

Her voice did come back on the car journey. When I pointed that out to

her she went back to having this bad dose of laryngitis.

Oh, shut up! You're such a tosser! Oh, you're so rude! She's upset

with us because we have caught her. If you get behind the wheel of a

car and you've been drinking, then as far as I'm concerned, you're

fair game, I'm coming after you. 20 miles north outside a Chinese in

Bedford, PC Tanveer Hussain has got his eyes on another dodgy parked

car. Driver, quick word, mate, please? A

quick word about your wing mirror, it's come off.

The offside wing mirror was sort of hanging off, so I thought I'd just

have a little chat as he's come out of the pub car park.

Tanveer suspects he's had a drink. Is it your car, registered in your

name? It's my girlfriend's. Your girlfriend's? Are you allowed to

drive it? Basically, she rang the, what's it called, the insurance

company, innit? If you want to, you can ring my girlfriend now.

It is not his car but it's OK, he's got connections, too.

Listen, do you know my uncle, PC BEEP, yeah? Is that your uncle?

Serious? Honest. He is not lost for words, but with alcohol on his

breath, he is taking a risk. The more he talked, the more I

began to smell it. I'll tell you the truth, mate,

listen, yeah? I'm not insured to drive the car, yeah? But my

girlfriend's gone out, I literally just picked my bredren up, and

we're going to get a drink... much have you had to drink?

Honestly? I've had one, one brandy and coke. OK. On my mum... My mum...

My mum's grave. Fair enough, OK. I'm just going to quickly

breathalyse you, my friend. What's your name? I don't even know your

name, I'm talking to you. Isaac Johns, man. Isaac.

If that was me sat in the back of the car, I wouldn't have mentioned

my uncle, that's for sure. He is not going to be happy.

I don't even know how to explain it, man. So you are driving around with

no insurance, yeah? Having consumed alcohol? It's not a good mix, is it,

to be honest, my friend? Mate, I know, man. Literally, I was

just going to his house. No insurance means Tanveer's going

to have the car seized. Is there a unit who could just join

me just literally for one minute, please? I'm in Peel Place, off

Tavistock Street. I just need them to do me a very quick favour, just

park a vehicle up near to me, please.

I need you to blow as hard as you can into this machine. Have you got

the keys to the car, first of all? No... Where are the keys? Matey has

got them. Well, I need the keys to the car, come on. Come with me,

then, matey has got them. His "matey" has disappeared with

the keys, he says. He is banking on Tanveer leaving the car locked up

at the side of the road. Get a good seal, and blow. A lot harder, a lot

harder, a lot harder, a lot harder. Honestly, I've got no more than

that. I was expecting him to blow just

over the roadside legal limit, but, no, he came back under,

surprisingly. There's that silver car there, I

just need it parked somewhere here, but has made has got the key.

you want me to bring it and put it round the back here? Just literally

behind me or in front of me, anywhere. Ring your mate, because I

need the keys to the car. Do you know what? I'm liking you,

you're a nice copper, I'm not going to lie, you're actually a nice

copper. I'm here to help you, I'm not here to hinder you. But what

you've got to understand... Can I ask you a serious question? Will I

get arrested? Knowing he's not going to be

arrested, Isaac is coming clean about the whereabouts of the car

keys. All right, here. Can I take the house keys off you, please?

can take the house keys. And I'll give you this car bit. Be straight

with me, be honest with me, I'll look after you.

It's nice for them to tell you at the start, because it makes my job

easier, but, hey, another five minutes, I'll find out anyway.

It was my bad. It was all me. It's a game, really. I think he was

looking for an easy way for me to let him off and give him a little

slap on the hand, but I don't think that was going to happen.

Because he has told the truth, finally, Tanveer is offering Isaac

a lift home. Or perhaps it's because he knows his uncle!

Isaac's girlfriend's not going to be pleased, though. She will have

to go to the police pound to get her car back.

If you blow over the limit at the roadside or don't blow it all,

you're taken into the police station for another go on a

different machine called an Intoxilyzer. It's the final chance

for the woman with laryngitis. appreciate you've got a sore throat,

however, OK, you still... Mark isn't holding his breath.

Nice deep breath, blow till I tell you to stop. Harder, harder, harder,

harder, harder, stop. Is that OK? No, it's not, no. OK, that could be

construed by the courts as a refusal, which would mean you're

going to you lose your licence for a year. I don't want...

understand that. But you're not even blowing.

You wanted to sort of shake her and say, you know, quite clearly, "You

can provide a sample, but you're doing this to mess us around".

Harder. Keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going. Stop. Well

done, you've done it. Well done. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes

of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. She was well over.

You've blown 124 and 123. What's that? That's probably, what's that,

about four times over the drink- driving limit. Can I go home now?

To get those readings was cracking. Oh, how lovely. Just in here.

The woman can't be charged with drink-driving until she's sober.

She's got a long night in a cell ahead of her.

If you need us, press that button, all right? I'll get you a couple of

blankets, all right? It was a costly trip to the garage

for the woman. She was found guilty of drink-driving and has her

licence taken away for two and a half years and given 12 months'

probation. The girl driving a Corsa, who

earlier turned into the same garage straight in front of a motorcyclist,

was cleared of any offence after it was confirmed he had no lights on.

The man who was caught with drugs in his car while taking his kids to

school was convicted of position of Class B drugs and fined �150.

He was also found guilty of having no insurance and given six penalty

points. The man who thought it was a good idea to hide drugs in his

cheeks was found guilty of dealing Class A drugs and given a six month

community order. And the man who thought it was a