0:00:02 > 0:00:03Get on the floor! Do it now!
0:00:03 > 0:00:07The Special Constabulary is the nation's volunteer police force.
0:00:07 > 0:00:08Do you know the gent?
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Watch your speed.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12It's made up of over 20,000 members of the public...
0:00:12 > 0:00:14He's gone down there.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17..who give their time to fight crime in their communities.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20- Get out of the car! - Get out of the car!
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Specials combine their day jobs...
0:00:23 > 0:00:24Stage, please.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26- ..and home lives... - There's a good boy.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29..with being serving police officers on the front line.
0:00:31 > 0:00:32Coming up -
0:00:32 > 0:00:35a man with a knife is on the loose in Cambridgeshire.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Hands behind your head.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Stay there. Do not move.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Ross helps a disabled man who's been hit by a van.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46- Do you have any pain anywhere? - In my right side.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Yeah? Whereabouts? Is it your hip?
0:00:49 > 0:00:53And a woman's miraculous escape from a horrific car crash.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57Any further to the right, she would have been killed.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14It's just before midnight and Special Constable Chris Hallatt
0:01:14 > 0:01:17is out on shift with colleague PC Colin Johnson.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24A report has just come in of a double stabbing
0:01:24 > 0:01:26in a town in Cambridgeshire.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29The perpetrator has fled the scene and is still at large.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Can you go again with a description, please, for the stabbing?
0:01:36 > 0:01:39SIREN DROWNS OUT RADIO
0:01:39 > 0:01:42We've got a description of the male,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45so we're just going to head on down there to see if we can find him.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Chris has been a Special Constable for a year
0:01:50 > 0:01:54and is used to being called to potentially dangerous situations.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01What was going through my head was, "Get this chap off the street.
0:02:01 > 0:02:02"Is he going to stab anyone else?
0:02:02 > 0:02:04"Are you going to go home that night?"
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Chris was already working for Cambridgeshire Constabulary
0:02:12 > 0:02:14before becoming a Special.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18In his day job he's a site manager, in charge of building maintenance
0:02:18 > 0:02:20and security at two police training centres.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24Sorry about the parking. Will that reach down the bottom, there?
0:02:24 > 0:02:26But the main reason he became a Special
0:02:26 > 0:02:30is because he himself has been a victim of crime.
0:02:30 > 0:02:35About eight years ago I was attacked in a kebab shop after a night out
0:02:35 > 0:02:40and I was quite seriously hurt and put in hospital.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42So this is one way of contributing,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45stopping that from happening to someone else.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50All units are now heading to the scene.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53A potentially dangerous attacker is on the loose in an area
0:02:53 > 0:02:55surrounded by open countryside.
0:02:57 > 0:03:02It's sort of quite remote, a lot of country roads and fields.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05He could have hid somewhere quite easily.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09The reason we have so many units is to contain that area,
0:03:09 > 0:03:13so he's got no opportunity to get out.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Chris and Colin head into the centre of town...
0:03:22 > 0:03:24..just as some worrying new information comes through
0:03:24 > 0:03:27about the extent of the victims' injuries.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30RADIO: 'Ambulance required.'
0:03:31 > 0:03:34At that time it was said that it was serious.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36We didn't know exactly how serious,
0:03:36 > 0:03:40but I suppose you've got to treat that as worst scenario, haven't you?
0:03:42 > 0:03:45The police are now on red alert.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Their intelligence has provided them with a name for the suspect
0:03:48 > 0:03:51and they need to find him before he strikes again.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55And on a dark stretch of road on the outskirts of town,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58it looks like Chris and Colin might be in luck.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Could this be the man they're looking for?
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Just keep your hands out your pockets for us...
0:04:09 > 0:04:11But it turns out to be a false alarm.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14The man provides ID that proves he's not the suspect.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Cheers, buddy.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Chris and Colin decide to try a new strategy.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26The police believe the suspect may be heading towards
0:04:26 > 0:04:30a specific address so they lie in wait in a nearby street.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33We're just going to see if he pokes his head out.
0:04:33 > 0:04:34If he does, obviously,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37we'll update the control room, cos if he's got a knife,
0:04:37 > 0:04:41that would normally be the firearms unit that would deal with that.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43In a situation like this,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Chris and his fellow officers are putting their lives on the line.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51And yet despite the danger, Chris does the job entirely for free.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55You don't think about whether you're being paid or not being paid.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59When I joined the Specials I didn't particularly want to be
0:04:59 > 0:05:03just walking around the streets speaking to people,
0:05:03 > 0:05:08I wanted to get my hands dirty and jump in and get involved with stuff.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13It's now almost an hour since the stabbing
0:05:13 > 0:05:16and the offender could be anywhere.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18But at half past midnight
0:05:18 > 0:05:21it seems the team's patience might have paid off.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24- Is it him?- Excuse me!
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Stand back! Stand back!
0:05:27 > 0:05:30'I was concerned that that was the chap that had the knife
0:05:30 > 0:05:32'and the way he was walking towards us...
0:05:32 > 0:05:35'Yeah, I thought he was going to have a go.'
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Do us a favour, chap, and this is only for our own safety, all right?
0:05:38 > 0:05:39Have you got anything on you at all?
0:05:39 > 0:05:43I've got my car keys and my house keys,
0:05:43 > 0:05:44no money whatsoever.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47I'm going to cuff you, mate, cos at the moment
0:05:47 > 0:05:49I just need to be sure who you are.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51But once again it's a false alarm.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Pull that out my pocket, will you?
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Look, that's my wages, try that one.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59An identity check reveals that the man is not the suspect.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02I was just walking home.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05The police now believe the suspect may already have
0:06:05 > 0:06:09arrived at the address they've identified and be hiding inside.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13We've got our firearms team and the dog handler moving forward now,
0:06:13 > 0:06:17to go and search that address as we believe he might be there.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21So they're just obviously doing a few last checks before they move forward to that address
0:06:21 > 0:06:25and hopefully in a moment we'll find out whether he's there or not.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28As the armed officers approach the house,
0:06:28 > 0:06:32Chris and Colin make sure no-one else enters the street.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34We closed off the street
0:06:34 > 0:06:39due to the fact we didn't know whether the suspect was in the house.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43He could have been hiding down the side of the street in a bush
0:06:43 > 0:06:49or anything like that, and our main role is to protect the public.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53The team now waits for news from the house.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57But then Chris spots someone approaching from down the street.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02- Does that look like him?- Yeah.
0:07:02 > 0:07:03- It is?- Could be, yeah.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05Put your hands where I can see them.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Get on the floor. On your knees.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Put your hands behind your head.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Hands behind your head! Stay there! Do not move!
0:07:13 > 0:07:16You're under arrest. Put your hands behind your back.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence
0:07:19 > 0:07:21if you don't mention when questioned anything you later rely on in court.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Anything you do say may be given in evidence.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Stay there, sir.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27'It was tense.'
0:07:27 > 0:07:30You didn't know what sort of state of mind he was in.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32'You don't know what he's going to do.'
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Have you got anything on you that might hurt us or yourself?
0:07:34 > 0:07:37The police carry out a thorough search
0:07:37 > 0:07:40but find no knives or other offensive weapons.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43But have they got the man they were looking for?
0:07:43 > 0:07:48Once he was detained we checked ID and it was him.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53So their priority now
0:07:53 > 0:07:56is to take him to the police station for questioning.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58It's the end of a successful operation,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00which in no small part is down to Chris.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04It was a relief to find him.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07It was a pat on my back for spotting him.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Originally we weren't the officers that were attached to the incident,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13we were in a completely different town altogether.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15Turns out that we got the arrest.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19The man was later charged with common assault
0:08:19 > 0:08:22and two counts of GBH with intent
0:08:22 > 0:08:24and is due to appear in court in a few months' time.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Specials are unpaid volunteers who work alone or alongside
0:08:35 > 0:08:39the regular police to fight crime in their communities.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42- He got over!- I don't want to see you walking on the main road again.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44- Come on. - Recovery is obviously en route.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Specials are not Police Community Support Officers.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49They are fully-fledged members of the police force
0:08:49 > 0:08:53who have the same powers in law as their paid colleagues,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55including the power of arrest.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57Stop it!
0:08:57 > 0:08:59- Move over.- No, no, no! - Move out the way.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04Within many Special Constabularies, Officers can rise through the ranks
0:09:04 > 0:09:07from Constable all the way up to Chief Specials Officer.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Ouch! I found a thorn.
0:09:09 > 0:09:10Let me remind you you're under arrest
0:09:10 > 0:09:12and anything you say will be written down.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Specials work 16 hours a month or more as volunteers
0:09:15 > 0:09:21and undertake all kinds of duties, from policing community events
0:09:21 > 0:09:23to arresting hardened criminals.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33It's a winter day in Cambridgeshire
0:09:33 > 0:09:36and temperatures are well below freezing.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Special Sergeant Ross Spalthoff is about to start a shift
0:09:40 > 0:09:43with PC Samantha McMurrugh.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47It was the worst day, I think, of the year that we were in at that time
0:09:47 > 0:09:49that I can remember.
0:09:49 > 0:09:55It was very icy, it was very foggy, visibility on the roads was poor.
0:09:55 > 0:10:00We came on at 7:00am, and by 11 o'clock we'd had nine accidents,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03collisions, just in our area of South Cambs alone.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07Former accountant Ross joined the Specials four years ago,
0:10:07 > 0:10:10giving up his evenings and weekends to help the regular police force
0:10:10 > 0:10:13patrol the streets of Cambridgeshire.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15He now volunteers full-time as a Special.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17It's always something I've wanted to do,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19the pay's not really relevant to me,
0:10:19 > 0:10:23it's just, I wanted to give something back to the community.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26And Ross now has an added reason to want to give something back.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Having split from his ex-girlfriend,
0:10:28 > 0:10:32one day a week he looks after his 14-month-old son, Elliott.
0:10:34 > 0:10:40Since I became a dad, it's had a huge impact on my life experience.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46I think it's a primary reason, really, now, for doing this.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Obviously, my son and other children of his generation,
0:10:50 > 0:10:55I'd like them to grow up in a safe world and safe environment.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Ross is so passionate about his police work
0:11:01 > 0:11:04that he's now been accepted as a regular officer
0:11:04 > 0:11:07and will start his job in a few months' time.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10It'll be one of the proudest days of my life, I think,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14when I can hopefully have that contract to sign
0:11:14 > 0:11:17and have the passing-out parade.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20In the meantime he's happy to live off his savings
0:11:20 > 0:11:22while he volunteers full-time as a Special.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28Today conditions on the road are treacherous.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30Ross and Samantha have barely left the station
0:11:30 > 0:11:34when they're called to a car that has slid off the road into a ditch.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Hello, mate, you all right?
0:11:36 > 0:11:39'He'd clearly slalomed across the road, slid off onto the grass,'
0:11:39 > 0:11:43no damage to the vehicle, no injuries but he was just waiting for recovery.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Thanks very much. All the best.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49It turns out this is just the first casualty of the cold weather.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Back on the road, Ross and Samantha
0:11:51 > 0:11:55get a call to another incident a few miles away.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59We've got an RTC come in, in Papworth Everard,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03just outside the Post Office - car versus wheelchair.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Right. So we're first on scene.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10A van has reversed into a man who was crossing the car park
0:12:10 > 0:12:14in his wheelchair, throwing him to the ground.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16- How are you?- A bit shaken.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20- Bit shaken.- Bit shaken. Do you have any pain anywhere?
0:12:20 > 0:12:23- On my right side.- Yeah, whereabouts?
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Is it your hip? Yeah?
0:12:25 > 0:12:26'When I arrived at the scene,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29'the gentleman was lying on the ground of the car park,
0:12:29 > 0:12:34'covered by coats, and was being attended by four, maybe five,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36'members of the public.'
0:12:36 > 0:12:41Our immediate concern was the health and wellbeing of the gentleman on the ground.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Are you comfortable where you are at the moment?
0:12:43 > 0:12:4766-year-old Nigel has been lying on the ground
0:12:47 > 0:12:49for half an hour in freezing temperatures.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52If they don't get him into a warm place soon,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54he's at risk of developing hypothermia.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59We're at scene here with this gentleman.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01He's on the floor but no ambulance.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Can you hurry them up, please?
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Cos this guy's obviously very cold on the floor.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09'In the back of the cars we have some first-aid kits,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12'which have silver-lined foil blankets
0:13:12 > 0:13:17'so we tried to get one around him, and more, perhaps, importantly,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20'one underneath him to get him off the floor.'
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Standing out in subzero temperatures
0:13:22 > 0:13:26to help someone in need is all part of the job as a Special.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28But Ross wouldn't have it any other way.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32I love it. I've done this for over three years now as a volunteer
0:13:32 > 0:13:35and I wouldn't choose to do anything else, really.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39It does play a little bit of havoc with your social and personal life,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42but I was choosing to do this rather than go down the pub,
0:13:42 > 0:13:46so it's saving me money and keeping me a bit healthier
0:13:46 > 0:13:48and putting something back into the community.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51While they wait for the ambulance to arrive,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Ross takes one of the passers-by who witnessed the accident
0:13:54 > 0:13:57to the car to try and get to the bottom of what's happened.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00He's sort of coming in like this, Nigel,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03and the van's coming back and he hit him on the side.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07And it basically moved him, moved his chair and it lost its balance.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09And it toppled over.
0:14:09 > 0:14:14So very slowly, not even five miles an hour.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16No, he wasn't speeding at all.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18'There was nothing at this stage for us to think'
0:14:18 > 0:14:21there might have been anything untoward in the respect
0:14:21 > 0:14:24that it was purely he hadn't seen the gentleman
0:14:24 > 0:14:26and it was a simple case of an unfortunate accident.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30But unfortunate or not, all accidents have to be investigated.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33And Ross and Samantha need to be sure
0:14:33 > 0:14:36that there isn't more to this case than meets the eye.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38The driver is breathalysed to make sure
0:14:38 > 0:14:41he hasn't been drinking alcohol.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45It's very straightforward, like you're blowing up a balloon.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51And just keep going until I sort of say stop.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Keep going, keep going, keep going.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Lovely, that's it.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Zero, lovely.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02It looks like the driver is probably in the clear.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05But then Ross notices a CCTV camera
0:15:05 > 0:15:07pointing towards the scene of the accident.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12There's a possibility it might have captured the moment of collision.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15They track the owner down to a local shop
0:15:15 > 0:15:19and spool through the footage from the last hour.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23They're in luck. The camera has recorded everything.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28And it shows exactly how the accident happened.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33When we saw the CCTV, it was a shock to myself and my colleague
0:15:33 > 0:15:35how hard the gentleman was hit in the chair
0:15:35 > 0:15:39and how hard he was thrown from it.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42I must admit, I did think it was just a case of a nudge
0:15:42 > 0:15:45and perhaps the chair had just toppled over,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48but he's literally been thrown from the chair.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52The ambulance finally arrives
0:15:52 > 0:15:55and the paramedics assess Nigel's injuries.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Do you think you can straighten this top leg for me, Nigel?
0:15:58 > 0:16:01He's then transferred to a stretcher
0:16:01 > 0:16:04in preparation for the trip to hospital.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07For Ross, it's a relief to see the old man finally in safe hands
0:16:07 > 0:16:10and it serves as a reminder of why he joined the Specials.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13I suppose it's a bit of a cliche,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17but I suppose it's almost saving the world one day at a time.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20I do feel like I really want to make a contribution, make a difference.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22It's a really good job and the helping people,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24the community aspect of it,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26helping gents like this,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29it's not all about the arrests and the criminal prosecutions.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35This might appear to be just a very unfortunate accident
0:16:35 > 0:16:38but the police must consider whether anybody was at fault
0:16:38 > 0:16:40and whether to press charges.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42I'll need to interview the driver.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45I'm not going to interview him now cos he's in a little bit of shock,
0:16:45 > 0:16:47I'll wait until I've got all the witness statements
0:16:47 > 0:16:50and then, obviously, any other evidence that's gathered,
0:16:50 > 0:16:52I'll make a decision then.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55Nigel spent the night in hospital
0:16:55 > 0:16:58but was discharged the following day with only minor injuries.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00The CPS did prosecute the driver,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03who pleaded guilty to driving without care.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05He received three penalty points,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08a fine, and was ordered to pay court costs.
0:17:17 > 0:17:202,000 people die on Britain's roads every year.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24As a Special who focuses on traffic policing,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Special Chief Inspector Bill Bond
0:17:26 > 0:17:29has seen his fair share of accidents.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33Responding to reports of road traffic collisions is a major
0:17:33 > 0:17:38part of the RPU role. We're there doing general enforcement,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40but we're liable to be dispatched
0:17:40 > 0:17:43to reports of RTCs at any moment in time.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51In Peterborough, it's 6pm and Bill is halfway through his shift
0:17:51 > 0:17:54with regular officer Darren Nyul.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57They're on their way to a traffic accident on a country road.
0:17:58 > 0:18:03'The informant's gone off the road into a field, banged her head...'
0:18:03 > 0:18:07It's a dark night, and Bill and Darren have only been given
0:18:07 > 0:18:10an approximate indication of where the vehicle is.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14The issue with cars that have gone off the road into a field
0:18:14 > 0:18:16sometimes can be actually finding them.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18First thing is to protect the scene.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20There's no point in worrying about casualties
0:18:20 > 0:18:23if they're about to be mowed down by a vehicle approaching from behind.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27Bill became a Special to help people in just this kind of situation,
0:18:27 > 0:18:31although he prefers to play down the more sensitive side of the job.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33I prefer to depersonalise it a bit
0:18:33 > 0:18:35and say I enjoy serving the community.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38I'm from the stiff-upper-lip generation.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41I personally think you're a big softie at heart.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Yeah, but I try and hide it, Darren.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51Before becoming a Special, Bill was in the Army for many years.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53I think being in the armed forces
0:18:53 > 0:18:55is a very good grounding for police work.
0:18:55 > 0:19:00It gives you the discipline and you're used to wearing uniform.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04There are lots of things, I think, people who come to it
0:19:04 > 0:19:07as a civilian would find more difficult that somebody who's
0:19:07 > 0:19:10been in the armed forces just accepts as second nature.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Now retired from the Army, Bill divides his time between
0:19:15 > 0:19:19volunteering as a Special and running a small lettings company.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23I'm fortunate in that my company virtually runs itself,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26which enables me to take time off to do policing.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31I think in the current financial situation there's a need
0:19:31 > 0:19:34for as many Specials and other volunteers
0:19:34 > 0:19:36as the police service can attract.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40I felt I had a choice with my background of either getting off my backside
0:19:40 > 0:19:43and doing something or sitting on my backside and complaining.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47Tonight Bill is certainly putting his money where his mouth is.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50A car has come off the road and he and Darren need to make sure
0:19:50 > 0:19:54the driver is OK and the vehicle is not a danger to other traffic.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59They find the driver waiting for them at the side of the road.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03She's clearly shocked but doesn't appear to have any serious injuries.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06- You're obviously shaken. Are you OK? - I think so, yeah.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09- Were you on your own in the car? - Yeah.- So what happened?
0:20:09 > 0:20:15I think I hit the kerb over there and then I went up it
0:20:15 > 0:20:20and then I just couldn't control it and I came right across the road.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Right, let's have a look at where it is.
0:20:25 > 0:20:26You're a lucky young lady.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29I know, it's on its roof and everything.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32According to a report by the Institute of Advanced Motorists,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35the most common cause of car accidents in the UK is
0:20:35 > 0:20:38simple driver error or loss of control.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42The situation is that a single vehicle
0:20:42 > 0:20:46travelling on the A47 has, we think, clipped the kerb,
0:20:46 > 0:20:50come across the bank, somersaulted through a fairly substantial
0:20:50 > 0:20:5615-foot tall hawthorn hedge and landed on its roof in the field.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02'When I saw the Mini, I thought she was really quite lucky to
0:21:02 > 0:21:07'have walked away from it.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09'I've been to several fatal collisions.'
0:21:09 > 0:21:12When you deal with these things day in and day out,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15you're just pleased when you arrive at the scene and the driver
0:21:15 > 0:21:18and any occupants have walked away from it.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22Darren takes the driver across to the ambulance, where
0:21:22 > 0:21:27paramedics will make sure she hasn't sustained any internal injuries.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30- She OK?- Yeah, I believe it's going to be damage only.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33They've had a good check, so when she comes out, because I think
0:21:33 > 0:21:36half of it is she's actually cold cos she's been standing here.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40So once she's out, we'll pop her in our car to keep warm.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47Miraculously, the driver has escaped completely unscathed.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Others are not so lucky.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54'I've been to several fatal collisions. We have to take'
0:21:54 > 0:21:57the bodies of the deceased to hospital
0:21:57 > 0:21:59as part of the continuity of evidence.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03'It's not pleasant but it's something you get on with.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07'The only times I've been upset by death is when I dealt with
0:22:07 > 0:22:11'somebody of the same sort of age and gender of a parent that I'd lost'
0:22:11 > 0:22:16recently, but that was very much my own personal situation coming out.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19After many years spent serving his country,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Bill now devotes his time to serving his local community.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25And he gives his time completely for free.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28'I worked about 1,900 hours last year,'
0:22:28 > 0:22:32so that is roughly working the full-time hours
0:22:32 > 0:22:34of a regular officer.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38'I do have a sense of pride in what I do. I don't waste
0:22:38 > 0:22:42'a lot of time thinking about the problems that I see in society,
0:22:42 > 0:22:47'I enjoy being able to tackle some of them in a small way. And I can walk'
0:22:47 > 0:22:51away and sleep soundly, having dealt with whatever I've had to deal with.
0:22:51 > 0:22:56Now that the driver has been given the all-clear by paramedics,
0:22:56 > 0:22:58her boyfriend arrives to take her home.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01There you go, young man, get in there, go and say hello.
0:23:01 > 0:23:06And Darren calls a recovery firm to remove the car from the field.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10It's probably 15 to 20 feet from the carriageway, on its roof
0:23:10 > 0:23:14in a field, so it will need a full high-up lift,
0:23:14 > 0:23:18so it will need lifting by crane out of the field.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22With the recovery truck en route and the driver out of harm's way,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Bill and Darren do their best to salvage some of the driver's
0:23:25 > 0:23:28belongings from the smashed-up car.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Purse...
0:23:31 > 0:23:33I'll be able to get the rest of the kit out the car
0:23:33 > 0:23:35when it's recovered.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Yeah, it's just the main stuff here.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Stick that in there.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Pop it in the back of our car.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44Working as a Special is all about teamwork,
0:23:44 > 0:23:48and where possible, Specials are paired with regular officers -
0:23:48 > 0:23:50something that Bill values highly.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54It is very important indeed that you get on with your colleagues.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57'I believe that Specials should be totally integrated with'
0:23:57 > 0:24:01regular colleagues, and I personally get job satisfaction
0:24:01 > 0:24:03from working with a team of regular officers.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05Right, getting out is going to be...
0:24:09 > 0:24:10Ouch, I found a thorn.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Oh, dear, Bill, is that spiky?
0:24:15 > 0:24:19It is spiky, yes. I located one with my left buttock.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Ah, you're killing me.
0:24:22 > 0:24:23Oh, beautiful.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30The recovery team arrive and face the mammoth task of getting
0:24:30 > 0:24:33the Mini back over the 15-foot hedge.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36If we get hold of it somewhere in the wheels here.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Yeah, just pull it back as much as you can
0:24:38 > 0:24:39and drag it straight through.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42I might cut a little bit of that hedge out,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45just one or two of the bigger bits probably out
0:24:45 > 0:24:49so we don't get the obstructions as we're going through the gap.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Once I get it through there, I'll flip it back on its wheels.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56We'll get a good look at it inside, job's a good' un.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Pick it up, chuck it on the lorry. Happy days.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03The team get to work cutting through the hedge.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05That's better.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08There you go, there's an indication where the Mini came through.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11It's the wing mirror.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Then they attach some chains to the Mini's wheels
0:25:16 > 0:25:18and drag it towards the hole in the hedge.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23'We wanted to maintain the integrity of the hedge
0:25:23 > 0:25:28'and to minimise the damage to the landowner's property.'
0:25:28 > 0:25:31The vehicle had to be retrieved.
0:25:31 > 0:25:36It was a matter of getting it through as small a gap as we could.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40What you going to do, flip it there?
0:25:40 > 0:25:43- SMASH! - Another window's gone.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Are you going to flip it straight down here?
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Once the car is through the hedge,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50the team flip it back onto its wheels.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59And it's only now that the team discover how close the driver
0:25:59 > 0:26:01really came to death.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06From how it's looking now, the lady is very, very lucky.
0:26:06 > 0:26:12The impact on the cockpit roof is actually just to the central point.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16Any further to the right, she would have been killed.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Good job the driver was fairly small.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20I think if someone my size had been driving,
0:26:20 > 0:26:22I could have had fatal head injuries.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25No charges will be brought against the driver,
0:26:25 > 0:26:27because there was only one vehicle involved.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31And the farmer whose hedge was damaged will be able to claim
0:26:31 > 0:26:34on the driver's insurance. As for the driver,
0:26:34 > 0:26:36she can count herself lucky that she lived to tell the tale.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39'As a police officer, we've got a duty of care to anyone
0:26:39 > 0:26:41'we find who needs it.'
0:26:41 > 0:26:45So you do whatever you need to to deal with that person's
0:26:45 > 0:26:47immediate needs.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49'It's impossible to say what would have happened'
0:26:49 > 0:26:52if she hadn't been wearing her belt. I personally think that she
0:26:52 > 0:26:56probably owes her life to the fact she was correctly restrained.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd