OK let me answer that.
A stolen car worth '£4,000' ?
The cost of the helicopter plus ground crews followed by legal aid through the magistrates (because they can only give the bad boy six months) and prosecution costs. Must be at least a bill of £60k for the public purse.
Mr Mark Rees, prosecuting, said: “Officers were on patrol and their attention was drawn to the vehicle and they began to follow it.
“It was travelling through the roadworks and it began to speed up. The car continued to drive erratically and they put on the blue lights but the defendant sped up to 100 mph. He exited at junction 11 going northbound and went through a red traffic light. The police helicopter was up and the stinger was activated. The defendant drove straight through it on the A460 Cannock Road before stopping."
It could be argued that the police instigated this chase as so often is the case.
The driver get's 12 months but is out in six and time served on remand means he walks away.
Is it worth it?
If I have my £4k lawn tractor stolen tonight will plod be launching a chopper or raiding the local you know what camp?
I'll get a crime number and a letter from victim support end of story.
A friend of mine had his £12k mini digger stolen two weeks ago.The police are not interested. He had a visit from the police four days later to issue a crime number to clear the crime off the books.
If that is the best you can offer to defend the high cost of air support Silsoe you should get your coat.
That's the typical crime the air support unit attends in the police camera action time fillers on the satellite channels.
