In the course of a single night shift, a Durham Police team of traffic cops travelled more than 200 miles and responded to worrying crashes, uninsured drivers and even a couple forced to pull over when their son experienced drug-induced distress.
The force has revealed the extent of the job for its traffic officers - who cover County Durham and Darlington 24/7. On a Saturday nightshift, its roads and armed policing team were involved in a range of incidents.
Their 12-hour Saturday nightshift started off with an immediate seizure of a Mazda car.
A force spokesperson said: "When an officer asked the driver why he thought he’d been stopped, the driver casually explained it was maybe because he didn’t have a licence, insurance or MOT. And how right he was."
Officers seized the vehicle, while the driver was escorted home. On the same shift, officers also rushed to the scene of a crash in Wolsingham - where a VW Golf driver had veered off the road, hitting a dry-stone wall and then a Mitsubishi travelling in the opposite direction.
The force spokesperson added: "The driver of the Golf was taken to hospital with miraculously minor injuries and both drivers passed the roadside tests for both drugs and alcohol. Enquiries into the cause are ongoing."
Later, a "tactical stop" saw a car carrying a man who was believed to be wanted in the Easington area stopped. The driver in question was detained near the A19 at Castle Eden, and the police explained checks revealed he had been previously been detained.
However, the police spokesperson added that the most vital incident involved a family who had pulled over on the A177. They said: "But perhaps the most important incident of the night came just after midnight when we got a 999 call from a distraught couple reporting that their son was in significant distress in their car after suspecting he was under the influence of drugs.
"Not knowing what to do, they pulled over on the A177 where the man continued to be in a state of Acute Behavioural Disorder (ABD), putting himself and his parents at risk on a busy, unlit road."
Officers raced to the scene to support them and keep them safe as they waited for the arrival of paramedics, before the man was taken to hospital for specialist care.
The police spokesperson added: "These are just some of the incidents attended by one sergeant and their team in a single shift, travelling nearly 200 miles throughout the night to come to the aid of those most vulnerable on County Durham and Darlington’s roads. They will continue to do this every night, of every week, of every year."
READ NEXT:
- What do we know about NHS strikes this month - and how will North East hospitals and the ambulance service be affected?
- Sunderland hospital worker struck off after stealing drugs from NHS stocks and taking them in the toilets while at work
- North East cancer nursing 'crisis' with huge shortage of staff as vacancies difficult to fill
- Sunderland mum, 33, hopes to complete 'bucket list' with daughter after incurable cancer diagnosis
- RSV: Doctor warns virus that can leave babies seriously ill is 'massively up' but new vaccine could help
