Police Escorts

[EvianBaby]

Does it tend to just be the Royals who would get a police escort on a public road?

[roxie_09]

I've seen coaches full of football players/rugby player being escorted by police x

[EvianBaby]

Really. Hadn't thought about them needing one.

I was travelling down the M40 a couple of weeks ago and noticed a blacked out car flanked by police but it was on the other carriagway so not much chance of seeing who it was. I'm just nosey.

[JonnyBoy12]

Sometimes lorryloads of very expensive cars like Jaguars get this as well, and also valuable loads like cash or bullion.

[EvianBaby]

Blimey, a car full of wedge. That would be nice!

[Buenchico]

It's mainly members of the Royal family (even really minor ones) who seem to get police escorts but, for some formal occasions, people like the Lord Lieutenant of a county will also receive an escort.

Senior politicians (e.g. the Prime Minister) might be given a police escort on security grounds.

As Roxie indicates, police escorts are also used to prevent disorder in relation to fans (and teams) travelling to or from football matches. Some (alleged) major criminals or terrorists will also be given a police escort when the prison van takes them to and from court, in order to prevent any attempt to free them (or to attack them).

In some countries police escorts seem to be given to people on the smallest of grounds. For example, many years ago, a pupil of mine captained the South Yorkshire Schools' Under-15 football team when they visited Moscow (when it was still in the Soviet Union). Their coach was escorted by a fleet of police cars and motorcycle outriders, with saluting police officers standing at every junction along their route, where the traffic lights had all been switched to green for them ;-)

[EvianBaby]

Thanks Chris. Looks like it could have been anyone then. I had just assumed it was probably a Royal.

Lucky pupil of yours to get that much attention. I bet he was revelling in it. I would have been,

[Postdog]

Always cash for destruction. I used to live near the printing works where they also destroy it and it was a common sight many years - less now but you still see it.

[EvianBaby]

Money for destruction! That makes me cry! lol.

[Andyvon]

Hi EvianBaby,

I remember sitting in traffic on Good Friday in 1998 while I driving into London on the A40 Westway. At one point I noticed two police motorcycles escorting two black and green Jaguars crawling through traffic going the other way towards Northolt. When I looked I could see Tony Blair gazing out the rear window of the green car. A few hours later it was announced on the news that the Good Friday Agreement had been signed in Belfast so that's where he was going. His car was escorted by the police, but only two bikes as I said.

[wildwood]

High profile criminals get a police escort for protection as they are carted around on public roads. Judging by some of the crimes this scum gets up to, they really need it.

[denis567]

Further to wildwood's answer, a few years ago I was in the centre of Leeds when I saw a prison van being escorted, not only by several police cars and motorcycles, but also there was the police helicopter overhead.
I heard on the news later that there was a high profile trial taking place at Leeds Crown Court and the prisoners were being kept at the high security prison in Wakefield (about 10 miles away)

[Ann]

We were in Egypt in the late 90s going to see the pyramids in a 10 coach convoy from a cruise ship (3 day cruise from Cyprus) As there had been a tourist killed near the Pyramids some time previously, we had an armed policeman on each of the 10 tour coaches and police outriders all through the streets of Cairo - the tour guide on our bus seemed to think it was extremely exciting !!!

[EvianBaby]

Actually a couple of your posts have reminded about a situation my sister had. She used to be a financial crime manager at one of the big banks here but had to travel a lot for work. On a trip to South Africa she wasn't allowed to leave the building she was working in without an armed guard, not even to just nip for something to eat. It seems it's quite common in some countries.

We've got a prison a couple of high security prisons and a couple of courts near where I am so it's not uncommon to see the vans they get ferried around in. I'm always wondering who's in the back.

[Mosaic]

Jack Straw and Condoleeza Rice seemed to have most of the county force surrounding them on their love-fest in Blackburn a couple of years back.
And guess who will have footed the bill?

[ChuckFickens]

Although it sounds bizarre, lorries full of razor blades often get a police escort too! they are such a high value item for size that a lorry load of them is worth millions.

[EvianBaby]

ha ha, really? Looks like I was wayyyy off the mark with my original thinking then.

In fact I'm tempted to start hiring my own police escort, I'm feeling left out.

[spudqueen]

There are also more tragic events when someone would get a police escort, for example either a critically ill/hurt person or the relative of a critically ill or hurt person. Organs which are to be transplanted also warrant a police escort. I remember watching a programme which showed how one such organ was escorted into the centre of London. All the traffic in front of them was stopped to allow the organ through. One police bike actually almost blew up on that run, it had been ridden so fast and hard. On the film you can see it smoking and the police rider having to leave the escort.

[AlBags]

I had a police escort behind me once ...
Never caught me tho : )

[bednobs]

if there is a coroners case (an unexpected death that goes for a pM, that havs to have police accompaniment)

[hc4361]

A few years ago there was the most enormous low loader with the biggest object I had ever seen on the road. I have no idea what it was but it was wider than a lane and very, very long. It had police motorcylists to the front and rear.
I later found out that the haulage companies have to pay for such escorts and these days it is more likely to be the Highways Agency that provides the service.