Category: POLICE

Here’s a self-explanatory P-registration Peugeot Expert. There are no blue lights and the only markings are on the sides. Inset: the rear view.

T57 SUG Two views of a West Yorkshire Police Vauxhall Omega estate . In addition to the roof lights, it has two small blue flashing lights sitting next to the front fog lights. It is being used to block the road on the approach to a major accident.



The front view.

This is a multi-purpose Peugeot police van. In this case it has been converted internally to carry dogs.

This is a X-registration Ford Fiesta in the battenburg stripe livery of Northumbria Police

X272 CWP is a Vauxhall Astra police car. With the recent rise of more colourful liveries, it seem odd to have such a minimally marked car. This car is actually a demonstrator given to the force by Vauxhall. They don’t have any crests etc. as they move from force to force. Notice that the lights are mounted on a separate platform to avoid damaging the paintwork, as it would only be used as a general purpose car there are no real requirements with regard to markings. Once they have served their purpose they can be sold to the general public as ex-demo’s through the dealer network.

V638 LUM is a Vauxhall Astra from the West Yorkshire Police fleet. For many years they have advertised the non-emergency number to contact them on their vehicles, 0845 6060606, to cut down on inappropriate 999 calls.

X784 NWR Here are two views of a Volvo V70 T5. Notice the arrangement of the roof lights, with a row of red lights below the main bar facing rearwards. North Yorks Police added the Crimestoppers name and phone number to the back of their vehicles in May 2001. If you have any information about a crime, this local rate number can be used in the UK. You do not have to give your name and you may receive a cash reward.



The rear of the T5.

Here is a pair of Volvo S70 T5’s S772 OFT and V474 ECN on the A1, South of Newcastle upon Tyne. They were the last of the ‘jam sandwich’ style for patrol cars is being replaced by the high visibility ‘battenburg’ markings.



This shows two Volvo traffic police cars as a helicopter would see them.



Two Volvo’s on the A1 again, Bottom right: a police outrider from above, Bottom far right: the flashing red lights on the rear of a Volvo. All of the above photographs were taken when the Police were escorting 200 Heavy Goods Vehicles, on a go-slow protest, during the UK Fuel Protests of September 2000.

This next picture shows the changing livery of Northumbria Police again. Even Panda cars (in this case Ford Fiestas) were being changed to carry battenburg markings. Clearly the older car on the right R673 PNL has the older markings, and the newer one on the left V866 DCN, the newer markings.

And here is a model Rover 3500 Police car, a familiar site in the UK throughout the 1980s.

A Ford Focus in North Yorkshire Police’s livery. Inset: the rear view.

AJ1 This is a special Police Volvo 850 T-5 used by the Chief Constable of North Yorkshire. When the car is changed, the registration is transferred to the new vehicle. There are two hidden strobe lights behind the front grille. One of its uses is escorting VIPs. Right inset: talking to one of the four escorting police outriders. Left inset: The VIP being escorted: HRH Prince Charles.

N315 EUB is a marked police Ford Escort van used for non-emergency purposes.

Here is a Metropolitan Police Volkswagen Transporter. It is used for transportation of officers or prisoners and has two bars of blue lights on the roof [model].

V472 ECN is a Northumbria Police Land Rover Discovery, spotted at a Rover dealership in Gateshead.

This is the very fast and agile Subaru Impreza. This one is from North Yorkshire’s Western Area Road Policing (WARP) Unit.



The side view of the Impreza.



Below is an interior view of the Impreza, showing the various police equipment, including fold-down video monitor.



Here the Impreza is joined by a Ford Focus to answer a call.

This is a model of a Vauxhall Omega in the colours of London’s Metropolitan Police.

Here is a Greater Manchester Police Volvo V70

R451 MSO is a Vauxhall Omega Grampian Police traffic unit.

The following is two West Yorks Police outriders, pictured in Leeds city centre.

K895 FHM We start this section with a 1993 Metropolitan Police Range Rover [model].



The rear view.

We start this section with a close look at a Honda ST1100 Pan-European unmarked traffic police bike. Here is the front of the dark green bike. The camera for recording traffic offences is arrowed and the clear lights mounted on top of each indicator flash blue when activated. It is sometimes difficult to picture what is required, as the camera is fixed to point straight ahead only.



This is the rider’s view. All of the regular motorbike controls are there, with added police radio, speed checking equipment and lights and siren activation switches.



Here is one of the rear panniers open to show the TV monitor. When a motorist is stopped, they can immediately be shown their driving by the police officer. The video recorder is kept on constantly while out on patrol.

Now let’s take a close look at the rear of a UK patrol bike: There is an extendable blue xenon flashing light on the pole, as well as a on/off flashing light mounted centrally at the rear. These are supplemented by two rear facing red flashing lights (for use by themselves when stopped on a motorway or with the blue lights). The aerials for the radios are clearly seen, as well as the high-visibility markings on the rear. The wording ‘police’ is not too large as it is quite clear this is an emergency vehicles by its markings.

Here we have a Police portable command unit

W208 PNL is a Northumbria Police Ford Fiesta 5 door.

This is a picture of a Ford Mondeo estate traffic car and a Ford Explorer, photographed in Essex.

V430 JMY is a London Metropolitan Police Isuzu recovery vehicle, used for parking enforcement on double red lines.

S804 RLB is a Ford Transit short wheel base model, operated by London Metropolitan Police

N312 EUB is a Daihatsu 4×4 vehicle from North Yorkshire Police.

T286 ALO is a very special vehicle from Durham Constabulary; a Honda S2000. It seems to be more for publicity purposes as the blue lights look easily removable and there is no camera nor police radios inside. Inset: the rear view, left: Durham’s crest