Category: Police (General)

NK51 WWP A 2001 Ford Focus panda car from Northumbria Police’s fleet. The Crimestoppers telephone number can be seen on the nearside, whereas on the offside we have the Northumbria Police website address.



The side view. Ford Focuses replaced Ford Fiestas after taller officers requested larger vehicles for more comfort. They often need to make a quick exit and this is not easy when you are over 6 feet tall, are wearing body armour, have a radio, baton, handcuffs and other paraphernalia around your waist and are squeezed into a small car!

BT51 GWC This is a VW Passatt Police car which was supplied to Warwickshire Special Constabulary by Spirit Volkswagen of Warwick. It is a standard 100BHP TDI model, which
squeezes into the GP (general purpose) category so can be driven by anyone with a
basic police driving licence. The rear cargo windows have been covered in
silver vinyl and carries the sponsors name as well as the force crest and mission statement.



Two web sites are written on the bonnet sides, the bike safe web
site and the force’s own web site. There are also 3 magnetic signs which attach to the bonnet when the vehicle is
stationary designed by local primary school children.
The light bar ensures no permanent drilling or damage was needed and is combined with the sound system (yelp, wail and hi-lo) and a public address. This is coupled with blue flashing lights and
with an alternating headlamp flasher which cycles through left double flash
to right double flash and then to both double flash. There is no doubt that
you will see this one coming! It also has a state-of-the-art talking satellite navigation system installed.



We’re still not finished though! What finishes the uniqueness of this vehicle for the Special Constabulary is
the carriage of an defibrillator (heart re-starter)
machine. In co-operation with Warwickshire Ambulance service, the vehicle
can be dispatched to incidents where it is likely to be on scene prior to
the ambulance unit. 16 officers are trained in using the machine and
will also be receiving additional first aid training. Here we see a practice run for publicity purposes.



This is the trailer that will be towed by the Passat above. The blue lights have been added, but not the livery yet. The trailer can fulfill many roles, including being used as a static display, as shown in the picture.



Here is the car and liveried trailer combination in use.

Y376 GDU A Warwickshire Police Ford Fiesta. Although this is in the same vehicle category as the Passatt above, there is a world of difference between the vehicles.

Y39 YJF and Y431 AUT are two Leicestershire Police vehicles at a motorway patrol point. On the left is an Isuzu Trooper and on the right is a Volvo V70.

We jump back a number of years here with a Ford Granada in Northumbria Police’s livery from 1988 (F registration). Note how sparse the livery is compared to more recent vehicles. You can also just see a Ford Sierra patrol car behind the Granada.

V250 LFM is a Cheshire Police Vauxhall Astra.

X523 GEG A West Yorkshire Police Ford Focus.

Y712 HWY A North Yorks. Volvo V70 following a police Ford Transit during escort duties.

A North Yorks police solo preparing for an escort.

A Metropolitan Police Landrover Discovery [model].

A Volvo S60 police car from Northumbria Police’s traffic division on Tyneside.

A happy Metropolitan police officer in a panda car.

This is an armed police officer from Durham Constabulary. The vehicle he is next to is Mercedes-Benz M-class, which is fitted with a secure gun cabinet and two directional spot lights on the roof.

NK51 DDV This Mercedes M270 is the first vehicle on UKev to have the new style registration plates which were brought into use on 1 September 2001. This photograph was taken on 19 August 2001, so the vehicle was kept off the road until the new plates were valid.



The front view.



The rear view.



Inside, the video equipment, camera, spot light controls and police radios can all be seen.

Y49 ERG This is a BMW 330i from Durham’s fleet. It is powered by a 3-litre straight-six engine that produces 231 bhp. This enables the car to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under six seconds. It can then carry on to reach an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.



The front three-quarter view.



The side view.



The rear three-quarter view.



From the back.

This is the ‘V’ vector lights which are used on Durham’s vehicles. The idea is that a large amount of blue light can be seen from any direction. This rear nearside view demonstrates this fact.



From the rear.



From above.

Y54 ERG This is a Durham Mercedes Sprinter diesel van used as an accident investigation unit.



The rear view. This vehicle was later liveried as a collision investigation unit, as most of the work it undertook were not accidents – they were collisions caused by driver error.



This distance shot shows the retractable floodlights (Night Owl) for illuminating the scene of an accident.

Y36 ERG is a Mercedes Benz M270 traffic policing vehicle from Durham.



The overhead view shows the arrangement of blue lights and the callsign on the roof.



This above-rear view gives us another view that is not normally available. Notice the matrix signs on the front and rear to pass messages to motorists, and the additional roof blue lights because of the length and height of the vehicle.

X537 WBB Here we can see how a brand new BMW 530i is transformed in appearance to a traffic policing vehicle.

An aged Vauxhall Senator (3 litre, rear wheel drive) which is used on the skid pan only. It has its headlights removed, bald tyres at twice the normal pressure and drives on a smooth water-and-oil-covered surface.

People emerge from the above vehicle after a ride out on the skidpan with a police skidpan driving instructor.

A collection of Durham’s vehicles used for police driver training. They are used for response driving, general driving, practice pursuits and TPAC (tactical pursuit and containment) on the public roads. They all have small crests at the rear of the sides, two small blue lights on the grilles, sirens, roof markings and police signs on the back.

R445 JTN and R448 JTN are two Land Rovers suitable for on- and off- road use in the Durham Dales..

Two conspicuous Honda Pan-European Cleveland Police traffic bikes.

An odd one now: a road safety device. The chair slides down the slope and hits the stop at 5 mph. This gives the rider quite a jolt, and makes them realise that if they didn’t have the seatbelt on they’d be flung off it.

Y797 ECN A 2001 Volvo V70 from Northumbria Police.



The side-on view.

Y368 FUP This is BMW’s Mini Cooper. Durham Constabulary use this loaned 125 mph, £14,000 car for road safety purposes. There are no plans to re-introduce the Mini to Durham’s fleet. Police Minis were a regular sight on UK roads in the 1960’s.



The front view.



The side view.



The rear view.

Here are some Durham vehicles in the garages at Headquarters.



A Land Rover defender 90 is also on the ramps.

We finish this section with an aged Freight Rover 400 series LDV. It is ‘M’ registration and is now only be used for non-urgent personnel transportation.

X893 NUG This is a West Yorkshire Police Jaguar S-type, used for traffic policing duties. Notice the small repeater blue strobes in the front air intake.



The front three-quarter view.



The rear view, showing the whole boot striped. This is rare as most traffic cars are estates or hatchbacks to accommodate the plethora of equipment carried. Also notice the matrix sign where the registration plate is usually affixed.