Episode 9 A1: Britain's Longest Road


Episode 9

Similar Content

Browse content similar to Episode 9. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

The A1 - Britain's longest road...

0:00:020:00:04

..stretching almost 400 miles from the City of London

0:00:050:00:09

to the heart of the Scottish capital.

0:00:090:00:11

Connecting two nations and passing through 18 counties,

0:00:130:00:16

it's an unrivalled highway

0:00:160:00:18

used by hundreds of thousands of vehicles every day.

0:00:180:00:21

We're going southbound down the A1,

0:00:210:00:24

on the northbound carriageway.

0:00:240:00:26

But not all journeys go to plan.

0:00:270:00:29

I thought, "I am going to lose my life."

0:00:320:00:34

Cars are coming close.

0:00:340:00:36

It is a dangerous place to be.

0:00:360:00:38

Lives can hang in the balance.

0:00:380:00:41

The rear end of that vehicle is unrecognisable.

0:00:410:00:44

This is actually the bodywork of the car.

0:00:440:00:46

24 hours a day...

0:00:470:00:49

It's not a safe place here.

0:00:490:00:51

..there's a team of people who keep us safe from harm.

0:00:510:00:55

The police...

0:00:550:00:56

..response teams...

0:00:580:00:59

We don't know whether we've got the road closed, or...

0:00:590:01:01

We don't know what's happened.

0:01:010:01:03

..and traffic officers.

0:01:030:01:05

Keep going.

0:01:060:01:08

Keeping Britain's most iconic road...

0:01:080:01:11

-Get out!

-..on the move.

0:01:110:01:13

Substantially damaged flatbed truck in lane two.

0:01:140:01:17

The A1, the monster that it is, will start to return to normal.

0:01:180:01:21

Coming up -

0:01:250:01:27

a runaway van crashes down an embankment...

0:01:270:01:30

-Police are all in the slip, so...

-We need to keep going.

0:01:300:01:33

..and leaves the A1 in total gridlock.

0:01:330:01:36

The race to get to a multiple crash near Newcastle.

0:01:380:01:41

Injuries sustained in road traffic collisions

0:01:410:01:44

are quite often life-changing.

0:01:440:01:47

And the risks for road workers clearing up the A1's graffiti.

0:01:470:01:52

We're right on the bend. It's very, very dangerous.

0:01:520:01:54

I mean, you can hear the traffic going past us now.

0:01:540:01:57

At nearly 400 miles long,

0:02:030:02:05

the A1 runs through country more diverse than any other British road.

0:02:050:02:09

From the heart of London, it heads north, past Peterborough,

0:02:090:02:13

Grantham and the industrial heartlands of Leeds and Newcastle.

0:02:130:02:17

In all, it sees 18 counties

0:02:170:02:20

before it finally ends in the City of Edinburgh.

0:02:200:02:23

7.30am, rush hour, near Newcastle,

0:02:260:02:30

and while thousands of commuters slowly edge their way to work,

0:02:300:02:34

an emergency call means A1 patrol officer PC Alan Keenleyside

0:02:340:02:38

needs to quickly jump the queue.

0:02:380:02:43

At the moment, we're right at the start of

0:02:450:02:48

morning rush hour on a Tuesday morning.

0:02:480:02:50

It's two Celsius, we've got freezing fog,

0:02:500:02:53

and we've just had a report that the A1 is blocked southbound.

0:02:530:02:56

But it's what's blocking the road which is worrying Alan -

0:02:590:03:03

there's been a three-car pile-up in the fast lane and the potential

0:03:030:03:06

for injuries is massive.

0:03:060:03:08

A real priority here is to get to the scene, to assess any injuries,

0:03:080:03:13

and try to get this road opened as quickly as possible.

0:03:130:03:16

My own personal fear is always the level of injury,

0:03:190:03:23

that people aren't too badly injured. Cars can be replaced,

0:03:230:03:26

vehicles can be replaced, people can't.

0:03:260:03:30

Injuries sustained in road-traffic collisions are quite often

0:03:300:03:35

life-changing and life-lasting.

0:03:350:03:37

Alan's colleagues and firefighters are already at the scene.

0:03:390:03:42

Two of the cars have crashed into each other in the fast lane,

0:03:440:03:48

causing some serious damage, and a third vehicle, a silver Kia,

0:03:480:03:52

has ended up 50 yards down the road.

0:03:520:03:55

What we're looking at now is a collision, which is reasonably

0:03:570:04:00

typical of rush-hour traffic.

0:04:000:04:01

Three vehicles have been travelling in the fast lane.

0:04:010:04:04

For some reason, the traffic has slowed in front.

0:04:040:04:06

The Volvo has reacted to that, braking heavily.

0:04:060:04:08

Then the Vauxhall Corsa brakes, pushing the Volvo forward

0:04:080:04:12

into the third vehicle, which is a silver Kia.

0:04:120:04:15

Minor damage to the Kia,

0:04:150:04:18

quite significant damage to the rear of the Volvo and to the Corsa.

0:04:180:04:23

Sometimes when you get brake fluid, oil, oil especially,

0:04:230:04:27

it gets quite slippy, especially on a damp road surface,

0:04:270:04:29

so we need to get some cleansing down as well.

0:04:290:04:33

Business manager Lee Kerswell was driving his Volvo to his office

0:04:330:04:36

in Durham when he collided with the car in front.

0:04:360:04:39

I put my brakes on.

0:04:410:04:43

The car just started to slide. I nudged him,

0:04:430:04:47

and then all of a sudden there was a big impact from behind

0:04:470:04:49

and the air bags and everything went off and then from there,

0:04:490:04:53

everything started to go crazy.

0:04:530:04:55

Lots of people, lots of blue flashing lights.

0:04:550:04:58

Just glad everybody was OK, I think that's the first thing.

0:04:580:05:01

It was quite an impact from behind.

0:05:010:05:03

The car had gone underneath mine.

0:05:030:05:05

The other car was being driven by hairdresser Kathleen Watson.

0:05:050:05:10

I was just driving along, happily driving along, going to work.

0:05:100:05:13

And the guy in front just put his brakes on

0:05:130:05:15

and I slammed my brakes on, and the next minute, crashed, that's it.

0:05:150:05:21

There was nothing...

0:05:210:05:23

I couldn't see anything untoward that was wrong on the road.

0:05:230:05:27

Just cannae believe it.

0:05:270:05:30

Bit shocked, I'm shocked, just shocked...

0:05:350:05:39

that it's happened.

0:05:390:05:40

I've been driving for a lot of years and...

0:05:420:05:44

..never had anything like this.

0:05:450:05:47

Haven't even got a point on my licence or anything.

0:05:470:05:50

With no-one injured, Alan's priority is to clear the carriageway.

0:05:520:05:56

Can I have the keys...?

0:05:590:06:00

Is this yours, is it? Do you mind if I have a go at trying to start it?

0:06:000:06:03

-Go for it.

-All right. It might do.

0:06:030:06:05

And Alan's in luck.

0:06:080:06:10

While the Volvo proves easy to move,

0:06:170:06:20

there's little hope for Kathleen's car - it's a total write-off.

0:06:200:06:24

Traffic's already stretching back six miles,

0:06:260:06:30

and unless the car is moved, it could get a whole lot worse.

0:06:300:06:34

Nearly seven billion miles are travelled on the A1 every year.

0:06:390:06:45

With such a massive volume of traffic pounding the road,

0:06:450:06:48

there's an army of workers dedicating to keeping the A1

0:06:480:06:52

in tiptop condition.

0:06:520:06:55

These caretakers of the road turn their hand to everything -

0:06:550:06:58

from picking up litter...

0:06:580:07:00

..to driving a gritter.

0:07:020:07:04

And when the A1 cracks under the pressure...

0:07:070:07:09

-Ready?

-..they're there to smooth things over.

0:07:090:07:13

In County Durham,

0:07:170:07:18

one of these teams is clocking on for their morning shift.

0:07:180:07:21

At their depot just off the A1,

0:07:250:07:27

Joe Wafer and Kev Taylor are preparing to take on a job

0:07:270:07:31

which only a tin of masonry paint can solve.

0:07:310:07:34

Whether it's vandalism or urban art,

0:07:350:07:38

graffiti along the A1 is a real problem,

0:07:380:07:41

with scores of incidents reported to Highways England every year.

0:07:410:07:46

Hi, Kelvin. Sure.

0:07:460:07:48

And during his seven years in the job,

0:07:480:07:51

Joe has developed a critical eye.

0:07:510:07:52

Most of the time, it's like an art type thing,

0:07:550:07:59

people putting designs on, as you will.

0:07:590:08:02

We have had graffiti with,

0:08:020:08:04

"Jill, will you marry me?" and things like that,

0:08:040:08:07

which is great for them, but, you know,

0:08:070:08:10

it's not every Jill that comes up the network is deciding whether

0:08:100:08:13

they're going to get married or not(!)

0:08:130:08:15

So, it doesn't matter what graffiti it is,

0:08:150:08:16

it's all got to be removed or overpainted.

0:08:160:08:20

What people see as just a harmless bit of paint could turn out to be,

0:08:200:08:25

you know, time-consuming and expensive to remove.

0:08:250:08:28

And their job today is a huge one.

0:08:300:08:33

They're tackling this sprawling eight-metre long section of graffiti

0:08:330:08:37

under a motorway bridge near Bowburn.

0:08:370:08:39

It's been freshly daubed on, but it's about to get another coat.

0:08:410:08:45

To be quite honest, I've got better things to do with my time than

0:08:480:08:51

actually come to a bridge and paint it for two or three hours.

0:08:510:08:54

It's just one of those things.

0:08:540:08:55

They paint it, we come out and paint over it.

0:08:550:08:59

With Joe keeping an eye on the traffic,

0:08:590:09:01

Kev gets to work with the masonry paint.

0:09:010:09:05

For them, it's not just about getting rid of all the eyesores,

0:09:050:09:08

but stopping accidents.

0:09:080:09:10

We have to cover this up

0:09:100:09:12

simply because the traffic that is passing,

0:09:120:09:14

people tend to look at graffiti

0:09:140:09:16

and they're obviously not concentrating on the road.

0:09:160:09:20

So, we mask it off so it ends up grey and at a later stage,

0:09:200:09:25

Highways England will bring in a company to remove it completely.

0:09:250:09:29

There's a serious sense of deja vu.

0:09:310:09:33

This is the sixth time they've repainted this bridge

0:09:330:09:36

in the last year.

0:09:360:09:38

Personally, I think it's a waste.

0:09:390:09:41

I think it's a waste of time, money and effort.

0:09:410:09:43

It's their type of art.

0:09:430:09:46

To me, I'd sooner see a canvas hanging up in a museum.

0:09:460:09:48

Even though the artist has painted his piece in an area easy to reach,

0:09:510:09:55

it's still a step too far for Joe.

0:09:550:09:57

I'll do some of the top stuff.

0:09:570:09:59

I've got me colleague with us today.

0:09:590:10:02

Kev's nickname is "the giraffe", and he can reach the high bits.

0:10:020:10:05

See, I can't reach up there, Kev.

0:10:050:10:08

I've got a higher standard, you see. I do all the heights.

0:10:080:10:10

Kev's wife has just been on the phone.

0:10:100:10:12

He's got to do a painting job when he gets home.

0:10:120:10:14

Apparently, your kitchen needs painting, Kev.

0:10:140:10:17

It's obvious Joe doesn't know me.

0:10:170:10:19

After an hour, Joe and Kev have managed to conceal the graffiti.

0:10:230:10:28

But with slogans being repainted regularly,

0:10:280:10:31

they know it's likely they'll be back here, removing them again soon.

0:10:310:10:36

As you can see, it is time-consuming.

0:10:360:10:39

But it's got to be done.

0:10:400:10:41

And hopefully,

0:10:410:10:43

we won't be revisited here for a while.

0:10:430:10:46

Now that is a work of art. Nice and clear.

0:10:490:10:53

That's a face of pride, that.

0:10:530:10:56

That's one for Highways England.

0:10:560:10:58

The boys are back.

0:10:580:11:00

However, their next paint job isn't going to be as straightforward,

0:11:010:11:05

and they'll definitely need a head for heights.

0:11:050:11:07

Just a few miles up the road in Newcastle,

0:11:110:11:14

PC Alan Keenleyside is still trying to reopen his section of the A1.

0:11:140:11:18

A three-car crash in the morning rush hour is causing traffic chaos.

0:11:220:11:26

With just one lane moving,

0:11:280:11:30

Alan is trying to clear the vehicles

0:11:300:11:32

and reopen the road as quickly as possible.

0:11:320:11:35

Right now, we're probably looking at around about five to six miles of

0:11:360:11:40

slow-moving traffic behind us.

0:11:400:11:41

So we're really moving as quickly as we can to get this cleared.

0:11:410:11:45

Business manager Lee Kerswell, who was caught up in the crash,

0:11:460:11:50

has taken the brunt of motorists' anger.

0:11:500:11:53

We actually got quite a few people shouting abuse out the window,

0:11:530:11:56

obscenities and that, because obviously,

0:11:560:11:58

we deliberately crashed this morning, that was the aim,

0:11:580:12:01

to spoil everybody's commute to work.

0:12:010:12:03

It's quite disappointing.

0:12:030:12:05

You know, somebody could have been seriously injured.

0:12:050:12:07

And that's the kind of attitude we were getting.

0:12:070:12:10

With the smashed-up Corsa still blocking the fast lane,

0:12:100:12:13

it's going to need a police 4x4 to shift it.

0:12:130:12:17

It's clearly going to move, cos we've got the power

0:12:170:12:19

in this to pull it. But we need to do it safely,

0:12:190:12:21

make sure we're not going to get right across the road

0:12:210:12:24

and then a wheel is going to fall off.

0:12:240:12:27

While Alan stops the frustrated commuters one last time,

0:12:270:12:30

the car is finally dragged off the carriageway.

0:12:300:12:33

And it's a race to clean up and get the road back to normal.

0:12:370:12:40

We need to look at bits like this - if a member of the public

0:12:440:12:47

comes along in the hours to come, on a motorcycle...

0:12:470:12:51

sees these bits, they might react to it, and if they react,

0:12:510:12:54

could cause a collision.

0:12:540:12:56

Right, that's it, we're ready to reopen.

0:12:560:13:00

It's taken 20 minutes to clear the accident.

0:13:000:13:04

Now Alan and fellow officers

0:13:040:13:05

have to deal with the people involved in the crash.

0:13:050:13:09

-Are you all right?

-Yeah.

0:13:090:13:10

Part of this is making sure the drivers are breathalysed.

0:13:120:13:16

I certainly don't suspect any of these drivers being impaired

0:13:180:13:22

through alcohol or drugs, but in Northumbria,

0:13:220:13:26

if you are involved in a road-traffic collision,

0:13:260:13:28

you will be breathalysed as a matter of course.

0:13:280:13:31

For the drivers caught up in the incident

0:13:380:13:40

in sub-zero weather conditions,

0:13:400:13:42

it's been a learning experience in more ways than one.

0:13:420:13:44

It's a little bit chilly this morning.

0:13:440:13:46

A good day not to have your coat with you.

0:13:460:13:48

When you're defrosting your car, maybe it's a good thought to

0:13:480:13:50

actually make sure you take your coat with you.

0:13:500:13:52

Need to think that in future, always make sure there's a coat in the car.

0:13:520:13:56

Traffic's finally flowing again past the scene,

0:13:590:14:02

although the knock-on effects from this smash will ripple down the road

0:14:020:14:06

for hours to come.

0:14:060:14:08

That now, the A1, the monster that it is,

0:14:080:14:10

will start to return to normal.

0:14:100:14:12

Unfortunately, mornings like this

0:14:120:14:15

will probably never fully recover from that incident.

0:14:150:14:18

That backlog of traffic will remain in some form,

0:14:200:14:23

but that's the harsh reality of it.

0:14:230:14:25

One incident that's lasted 20-25 minutes has a knock-on effect

0:14:250:14:29

for many, many hours.

0:14:290:14:31

The average cost of a minor collision on the A1

0:14:360:14:38

is around £15,000,

0:14:380:14:42

so this three car pile-up, which held up rush-hour traffic for

0:14:420:14:46

almost half an hour, could easily run into the tens of thousands.

0:14:460:14:50

But with more than 500,000 vehicles using the A1 near Newcastle

0:14:530:14:57

every week, it's not only police officers like Alan

0:14:570:15:00

who keep motorists moving.

0:15:000:15:03

When problems crop up, it's also the job of

0:15:030:15:06

Highways England traffic officers Peter Senior and Scott Wilson

0:15:060:15:10

to be in the right place at the right time.

0:15:100:15:13

For motorists travelling along the road,

0:15:270:15:29

a stray object can prove potentially deadly.

0:15:290:15:32

There's a possibility, if someone strikes it,

0:15:320:15:35

it could blow their tyres out, it could possibly throw it up

0:15:350:15:37

and strike another vehicle.

0:15:370:15:39

I've heard stories of the actual hook digging into the tyre

0:15:390:15:42

and then the strap wrapping around the axle,

0:15:420:15:45

or wrapping around the wheel.

0:15:450:15:47

Unfortunately for Scott and Peter,

0:15:480:15:51

this latest item is right in the middle of one of the fastest-flowing

0:15:510:15:54

sections of the A1.

0:15:540:15:57

To remove it safely means they're going to have to stop the traffic.

0:15:570:16:01

You just find a gap, and we'll go for it.

0:16:030:16:04

-Get it on now, mate.

-You ready?

-Yeah.

0:16:040:16:08

Lights and "don't pass" displayed.

0:16:080:16:11

Hotel, Alpha, Charlie, Lima, 4-1,

0:16:110:16:13

we've now implemented the block just adjacent to Washington services,

0:16:130:16:17

over.

0:16:170:16:19

For traffic officers like Peter and Scott,

0:16:190:16:21

the rolling road block is a well-rehearsed manoeuvre.

0:16:210:16:25

4-1, we've taken a position lane two.

0:16:250:16:28

We have full compliance.

0:16:280:16:30

Got traffic speed down to 5-0, over.

0:16:300:16:33

It allows them to slow the traffic down

0:16:330:16:36

and bring it to a halt just before the debris.

0:16:360:16:38

We've got control of the traffic, but we've still got to be

0:16:380:16:41

watching that traffic just to make sure no-one comes past.

0:16:410:16:45

Just need to get control of the traffic off this slip now,

0:16:450:16:48

which we've got.

0:16:480:16:49

We'll let that van get away.

0:16:490:16:50

4-1, we've now got traffic at a stop.

0:16:540:16:56

Just going to remove the debris now. Stand by.

0:16:560:17:00

While Peter collects the lorry strap,

0:17:000:17:02

Scott watches his back to make sure no vehicles jump the block.

0:17:020:17:06

We'll be releasing it in a minute, mate. Won't be long.

0:17:060:17:08

When traffic's at its peak,

0:17:080:17:10

a road closure can cause a jam that builds out a mile a minute,

0:17:100:17:14

so it's important the debris is cleared as quickly as possible.

0:17:140:17:18

So, we'll just slowly run the traffic away

0:17:180:17:21

now the debris is removed.

0:17:210:17:24

Traffic has been held up for only three minutes -

0:17:240:17:27

a small price to pay for keeping the A1 safe.

0:17:270:17:30

Job well done. Job very well done.

0:17:300:17:33

Traffic officers like Peter and Scott pick up nearly 2,500 obstacles

0:17:360:17:40

from along the A1 every year.

0:17:400:17:44

It's a tiny part of the role they play,

0:17:440:17:47

but they still have their fair share of critics.

0:17:470:17:50

Certain people maybe haven't perceived us well.

0:17:500:17:55

Some celebrities have maybe mentioned us as Day-Glo Wombles,

0:17:550:17:58

-or whatever.

-Jeremy Clarkson.

0:17:580:18:00

If them people could come out with us and see what we did...

0:18:000:18:05

We don't just put cones out and close lanes for the fun of it,

0:18:050:18:08

or for practice. We're doing it for a reason -

0:18:080:18:11

to help people or to make something safe.

0:18:110:18:13

I believe he has been offered to come out on a patrol with us

0:18:130:18:16

and he declined.

0:18:160:18:18

From stray animals to breakdowns and serious accidents,

0:18:210:18:24

traffic officers deal with more than 10,000 incidents

0:18:240:18:28

on the A1 every year.

0:18:280:18:31

With such an unpredictable job on the front line,

0:18:310:18:34

Peter and Scott know just how quickly things can change.

0:18:340:18:38

It's rush hour on the outskirts of Gateshead,

0:18:430:18:46

and reports are coming in of a major crash.

0:18:460:18:49

4-1.

0:18:490:18:50

1-1-3, yeah, received. We're just approaching junction 68 now,

0:18:590:19:02

so we should have eyes on very shortly, over.

0:19:020:19:04

Within seconds, they are on the scene.

0:19:080:19:10

The police are there, all on the slip, so...

0:19:100:19:12

He says it's crossing... Across the full carriageway.

0:19:120:19:15

-Of the...?

-Of the main carriageway, mate. Keep going.

0:19:150:19:18

A van driver has plunged down an embankment

0:19:220:19:25

and smashed into a lamp post,

0:19:250:19:27

the only thing that stopped him ploughing across the motorway.

0:19:270:19:31

He's being treated by paramedics for his injuries.

0:19:320:19:36

We can confirm that police and ambulance are on scene.

0:19:360:19:39

And with traffic already at a standstill,

0:19:410:19:44

Peter and Scott will be pushed to the limit

0:19:440:19:47

dealing with the aftermath.

0:19:470:19:48

Managing an incident like this can be fraught with danger,

0:19:570:20:00

but down the A1 in Durham,

0:20:000:20:02

even a simple cleaning job can mean risking life and limb.

0:20:020:20:06

Incident response workers Joe and Kev are continuing their crusade to

0:20:090:20:13

rid the A1 of unsightly graffiti.

0:20:130:20:16

It's a time-consuming and expensive job.

0:20:170:20:22

Right, A1 in, northbound, between junction 61 and 62.

0:20:220:20:25

This bridge has been riddled with slogans at every level.

0:20:250:20:29

And you can see, just by the graffiti,

0:20:300:20:32

we've got one on the wing wall, one on the wall itself,

0:20:320:20:35

one on the wall there and one up on the wing wall, there.

0:20:350:20:38

And there's actual graffiti on the bridge itself.

0:20:380:20:42

So, for him to do that,

0:20:420:20:44

he's either hung over the edge of the bridge

0:20:440:20:46

or he's leant out from the side.

0:20:460:20:49

It is dangerous, whichever way he's done that one.

0:20:490:20:52

They want to get rid of a tag left by a prolific artist,

0:20:530:21:00

but accessing it means going off-road.

0:21:000:21:03

And once there, Joe's using the graffiti artist's favourite tool

0:21:070:21:11

to blitz it.

0:21:110:21:13

Well, I've got a hold of the railings.

0:21:130:21:16

I've got a good hold on my feet, so I don't feel too bad.

0:21:160:21:19

I'm not frightened of heights, or anything.

0:21:190:21:21

We're never going to get it perfect,

0:21:210:21:23

but what we'll do is we'll just blot out as much as we can.

0:21:230:21:26

I mean, is it worth it?

0:21:260:21:28

But the next cover-up job is in an even more dangerous position,

0:21:320:21:38

just metres from speeding traffic.

0:21:380:21:41

We're right on a bend.

0:21:420:21:44

Heavy traffic nine metres away from the lane.

0:21:440:21:47

It's very, very dangerous.

0:21:470:21:49

I mean, you can hear the traffic going past us now.

0:21:490:21:55

A job like this needs teamwork and trust.

0:21:550:21:58

Start from here and work our way that way.

0:21:580:22:01

While Kev blitzes the graffiti, Joe acts as their eyes and ears.

0:22:040:22:09

If you don't have a lookout system, we've got nothing.

0:22:140:22:18

We won't know anything is happening until the last moment.

0:22:180:22:21

But if I've seen a car coming down the hard shoulder, I can tell Kev,

0:22:210:22:24

so it's just like an early warning system.

0:22:240:22:29

If a vehicle is coming that way, you would head that way

0:22:290:22:31

and get round the corner as quick as you can.

0:22:310:22:33

But with the sun dropping fast,

0:22:330:22:35

the situation is growing riskier with every passing minute.

0:22:350:22:39

This is under the shade.

0:22:390:22:40

The drivers are coming from strong sunlight farther up the road,

0:22:400:22:43

so it's getting to the point of the day now where we don't really want

0:22:430:22:46

to be on a corner on a hard shoulder.

0:22:460:22:49

We've got a large load coming down the motorway now.

0:22:500:22:53

Luckily enough, he's moved across.

0:22:530:22:55

If he can't get across, his overhang might be into the hard shoulder.

0:22:570:23:01

Luckily enough, we're OK, there.

0:23:030:23:04

But this is the sort of thing that happens.

0:23:040:23:06

With the light too low to continue,

0:23:080:23:11

Joe and Kev will return tomorrow to finish the job.

0:23:110:23:14

But with dozens of cases a year to tackle,

0:23:180:23:21

their war on A1 graffiti goes on.

0:23:210:23:24

Nearly 20 miles north on the A1 near Newcastle,

0:23:280:23:31

the emergency services have a much more serious battle on their hands.

0:23:310:23:35

SIREN WAILS

0:23:350:23:38

This van has careered down a grass bank and smashed into a lamp post,

0:23:380:23:42

knocking it across two lanes of the road.

0:23:420:23:46

Traffic officers Peter Senior and Scott Wilson are battling through

0:23:480:23:52

the traffic to get to the incident.

0:23:520:23:54

We can position our vehicle in the middle of the road.

0:23:540:23:57

The traffic will make attempts to get out of our way and let us

0:23:570:24:01

filter through the middle. What you've got to be watching for now,

0:24:010:24:05

though, is the driver who doesn't see you coming.

0:24:050:24:07

A mile down the road,

0:24:090:24:10

police and firefighters are trying to work out how this van ended up in

0:24:100:24:15

such a bizarre position.

0:24:150:24:16

DISTANT SIRENS WAIL

0:24:160:24:18

Amazingly, motorcycle patrol officer Ian Scott was just metres away when

0:24:210:24:26

the van came plunging down the bank.

0:24:260:24:29

It started to come through the traffic.

0:24:290:24:31

As I was coming through, this white van just came down the slip,

0:24:310:24:34

hit the lamp post. It just blocked all three lanes off.

0:24:340:24:37

So, everybody just stopped.

0:24:370:24:38

It didn't actually clip any cars?

0:24:380:24:40

-No, it didn't.

-How lucky is that?

0:24:400:24:42

And at the time, this was three lanes of solid traffic,

0:24:420:24:45

so I don't know how the lamp post didn't hit anything.

0:24:450:24:49

Paramedics are treating the driver for his injuries.

0:24:490:24:53

Police don't know yet what caused the accident,

0:24:530:24:56

but it's already had a massive impact,

0:24:560:24:58

causing five miles of tailbacks.

0:24:580:25:01

With Scott and Peter now on the scene,

0:25:030:25:05

they've got to find a way of getting thousands of vehicles safely past.

0:25:050:25:10

The police have sorted the lamp post that was

0:25:140:25:16

across lanes one and two. We're going to move everything that is

0:25:160:25:19

currently in lane two into lane one,

0:25:190:25:21

so we can open lanes two and three, and help traffic keep flowing by.

0:25:210:25:25

Opening another lane should halve the problem.

0:25:290:25:32

So, now we've got two lanes of traffic available

0:25:320:25:34

for traffic to use.

0:25:340:25:36

It's just, they are a bit like sheep following each other at the moment,

0:25:360:25:39

they're just using lane three.

0:25:390:25:40

But once they've realised we've adjusted things,

0:25:400:25:43

they'll start dropping in.

0:25:430:25:44

We'll get a higher volume of traffic past the scene.

0:25:440:25:47

Scott is keen to discover just how the van has managed to end up in

0:25:490:25:52

such a bizarre position.

0:25:520:25:55

He appears to have gone up the V part where the two barriers are.

0:25:550:25:59

That's launched him in between the two posts.

0:25:590:26:02

I think he's been a bit lucky.

0:26:020:26:03

He only seems to have a cut on his nose,

0:26:030:26:05

and he's saying he's got a few neck problems now,

0:26:050:26:07

but it could've been a lot more serious than what it actually

0:26:070:26:10

appears to be at the minute.

0:26:100:26:12

It's been nearly an hour

0:26:140:26:15

since the crash brought the A1 to a standstill.

0:26:150:26:18

But finally, with the inside lane cleared,

0:26:220:26:25

Scott and Peter can fully reopen the road.

0:26:250:26:28

Hotel, Alpha, Charlie, Lima, 4-1, to Charlie, Tango, 4-1.

0:26:400:26:43

You can release the block. Our ETM's been taken in

0:26:430:26:45

and we've left the scene, over.

0:26:450:26:47

The stranded van will be dealt with later by a recovery team.

0:26:480:26:52

It's been a busy and varied shift for the pair,

0:26:540:26:57

which deserves a reward.

0:26:570:26:59

So, that was a job that we weren't expecting on a Friday, Pete.

0:27:010:27:05

I think it's about time for a kebab to get my fitness levels back up.

0:27:050:27:09

Get them calories back into you.

0:27:090:27:11

Peter's doner is going to have to be delayed, though,

0:27:110:27:14

because even at the end of the busiest shifts,

0:27:140:27:17

the routine jobs still need doing.

0:27:170:27:19

They way we work as a team, you know, it's all down to teamwork.

0:27:210:27:24

Scott does the washing and I just have a look

0:27:240:27:26

to make sure he's done it right.

0:27:260:27:29

It's cos I'm still younger, that's what it is.

0:27:290:27:31

I don't want him to wear himself out.

0:27:310:27:33

The youngest always cleans the car.

0:27:330:27:35

I know I look a bit younger than him, but...

0:27:350:27:37

SCOTT LAUGHS

0:27:370:27:39

The van driver was later questioned by police,

0:27:460:27:49

but no further action was taken.

0:27:490:27:51

And after returning to the bridge for a second day,

0:27:530:27:56

Joe finally covered up all of the graffiti.

0:27:560:27:59

Hopefully, I won't be back again.

0:27:590:28:02

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS