Watch the moment Mansfield driver fails a roadside drugs test for cannabis and cocaine

The game was up for one driver after he ran the gauntlet of a copper’s sixth sense – leading to him getting picked up for alleged drug driving, all of which will be played out on national television tonight.
The series is being shown on Channel 5The series is being shown on Channel 5
The series is being shown on Channel 5

One of the incidents on Channel 5's Police Interceptors features a motorist who is dramatically stopped by officers and fails a roadside drugs test for cannabis and cocaine.

The programme emphasises how officers are often 'hidden from sight' and this is one of the tactics that Nottinghamshire Police has been keen to explore – covert tactics which can detect offences completely unbeknown to the perpetrator.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Roads policing officer Phil Broughton was on patrol in an unmarked police vehicle in the Debdale Lane area of Mansfield when his attention was drawn to a Ford Focus and he received information that the car was displaying an incorrect registration plate.

He immediately followed the vehicle but the driver headed down residential streets before taking several sharp turns in an attempt to lose the trailing police vehicles.

Trained to prevent dangerous pursuit situations, PC Broughton was one step ahead and within the space of a few minutes had orchestrated a tactical containment manoeuvre alongside his colleagues from the armed response unit.

The teams were able to box the Focus in as it came along Chesterfield Road South and met the junction with the A617.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The driver was then placed into a police vehicle while PC Broughton searched the Ford Focus and identified a strong smell of cannabis. He then conducted a road-side drugs wipe which gave a positive result for both cannabis and cocaine.

Read More
Mansfield shop owners come face-to-face with burglar during 'terrifying' broad d...

He also established that the 31-year-old only had a provisional driving licence and was driving otherwise than in accordance with his licence by not being supervised and not displaying Learner plates on the vehicle. It was also discovered that he wasn't insured to be driving it.

The real registration plates were also found inside and it was discovered that the Ford Focus was a recently stolen vehicle from Shirebrook in Derbyshire.

PC Broughton said: "Sometimes when you're out on the roads, you get a hunch that something's not quite right about a vehicle and we can very quickly and easily carry out the relevant checks which often confirm our suspicions.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Based on the information I had access to and the way the vehicle was being driven, I made the assumption that the driver wouldn't stop for me and being an unmarked vehicle gave me a slight advantage. So I quickly radioed to my colleagues and we were able to box the vehicle in before a dangerous pursuit had the chance to take place.

"Being trained in the use of drug wipes has made a huge difference to our ability to keep people safe on the roads. There is a correlation between dangerous driving and drug taking so when we make that stop, it's great to be able to test the suspect at the road-side and make sure that they're held to account for the crimes they've committed."

As a result of the incident on November 21, 2020, the driver was arrested and remains under investigation for drug-driving and other driving offences.

Catch all of this and more tonight on Channel 5 at 8pm.

Editor’s message: In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Ashley Booker, editor.