Police Convoy?
Discussion
Was on my way to a meeting (at McLaren 
) and came across a police convoy 2 cars, the one at the back unmarked black BMW, the one in front i couldn't make out but not a police car i dont think.
3 motorbikes 2 marked with blue lights flashing and another that was unmarked were zipping around moving cars out of the way etc. On a dual carriageway the cars always straddled the centre line and they all ran any red lights.
What would warrant such a convoy? Escort for someone important? Could have been heading to St Peters Hospital we were heading in that direction.
) and came across a police convoy 2 cars, the one at the back unmarked black BMW, the one in front i couldn't make out but not a police car i dont think. 3 motorbikes 2 marked with blue lights flashing and another that was unmarked were zipping around moving cars out of the way etc. On a dual carriageway the cars always straddled the centre line and they all ran any red lights.
What would warrant such a convoy? Escort for someone important? Could have been heading to St Peters Hospital we were heading in that direction.
Could have been one of many people. They use "Special Escort Group" or SEG for short. Specially trained officers to transport people around the country without stopping (Royal family usually travel like it)
They did a piece about it on Top Gear once and gave a demo to Clarkson, I seem to remember he was quite impressed with how it all comes together (the liver run on YouTube also gives you an idea of what's involved)
They did a piece about it on Top Gear once and gave a demo to Clarkson, I seem to remember he was quite impressed with how it all comes together (the liver run on YouTube also gives you an idea of what's involved)
Was it heading to ward High Wycombe ?. If so could have been
Countess of Wessex.
http://www.royal.gov.uk/LatestNewsandDiary/Royaldi...
Countess of Wessex.
http://www.royal.gov.uk/LatestNewsandDiary/Royaldi...
FuryExocet said:
Could have been one of many people. They use "Special Escort Group" or SEG for short. Specially trained officers to transport people around the country without stopping (Royal family usually travel like it)
They did a piece about it on Top Gear once and gave a demo to Clarkson, I seem to remember he was quite impressed with how it all comes together (the liver run on YouTube also gives you an idea of what's involved)
SEG are exceptionally good at what they do.They did a piece about it on Top Gear once and gave a demo to Clarkson, I seem to remember he was quite impressed with how it all comes together (the liver run on YouTube also gives you an idea of what's involved)
All their motorcycle officers are armed.
Training run - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8A_Un28wc8
Notice how they keep moving throughout.
The back story - http://blackrat.20six.co.uk/blackrat/art/68057/Inc...
It's from some time ago (SEG don't use BMW bikes now and Kofi Annan retired as UN Secretary General in 2006).
The real deal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCtsUFlw2hY
Some choice language at the driver of the blue Lexus @ 1:47
I've been caught up with them a couple of times in west London - and they were going a lot quicker than in the youtube clips. Very very impressive, even in heavy traffic. The motorbike cops have some very specific and determined body language and lots of eye contact which seems to stop even the most wayward London driver dead in their tracks.
The first time I was at the head of a queue of traffic waiting at a red light on the A4. The lead bike 'pulled' me and the car behind through the red light, and 'parked' us both in the middle of the box junction on the wrong side of the road! The tail bike at the back 'pushed' us back into the traffic. I didn't get a ticket from the red light or box junction violation - I guess the camera operators must have seen the motorbikes.
They seem a lot more switched on than the 'average' blue light plod.
The first time I was at the head of a queue of traffic waiting at a red light on the A4. The lead bike 'pulled' me and the car behind through the red light, and 'parked' us both in the middle of the box junction on the wrong side of the road! The tail bike at the back 'pushed' us back into the traffic. I didn't get a ticket from the red light or box junction violation - I guess the camera operators must have seen the motorbikes.
They seem a lot more switched on than the 'average' blue light plod.
h8tax said:
I've been caught up with them a couple of times in west London - and they were going a lot quicker than in the youtube clips. Very very impressive, even in heavy traffic. The motorbike cops have some very specific and determined body language and lots of eye contact which seems to stop even the most wayward London driver dead in their tracks.
The first time I was at the head of a queue of traffic waiting at a red light on the A4. The lead bike 'pulled' me and the car behind through the red light, and 'parked' us both in the middle of the box junction on the wrong side of the road! The tail bike at the back 'pushed' us back into the traffic. I didn't get a ticket from the red light or box junction violation - I guess the camera operators must have seen the motorbikes.
They seem a lot more switched on than the 'average' blue light plod.
I was wondering what happens with red light cameras etc. The first time I was at the head of a queue of traffic waiting at a red light on the A4. The lead bike 'pulled' me and the car behind through the red light, and 'parked' us both in the middle of the box junction on the wrong side of the road! The tail bike at the back 'pushed' us back into the traffic. I didn't get a ticket from the red light or box junction violation - I guess the camera operators must have seen the motorbikes.
They seem a lot more switched on than the 'average' blue light plod.
h8tax said:
<snip>
They seem a lot more switched on than the 'average' blue light plod.
a response driver whether Police. Fire and Rescue,Ambulance or some of the other blue light users has had 3 weeks of advanced and emergency driver training ( we'll discount the C1 or C training needed to drive 'carriers' / ambulances / fire appliances in addition to your cat B car licence )They seem a lot more switched on than the 'average' blue light plod.
SEG are all advanced emergency drivers - so have had several more weeks training to become 'advanced' drivers and more training again to become TPAC and/or pursuit manager trained while working traffic / ARV /force support type roles ...
i don;t know if all SEG are also dual bike + car advanced - you basically repeate the Response and and advnced courses to get them on bikes as well as cars
this is before any additional training ...
ManFromDelmonte said:
I've seen them quite a bit in London. Very impressive.
Me too, usually around Parliament Square (e.g. this morning a massive convoy of cars) or the Bank of England (fairly regularly).One question I've always had is why they appear to do so many runs during rush-hour - surely if at all possible they'd try and avoid the extra congestion? For VIPs I understand that they probably need to be delivered at specific times, but for the money runs from the BoE couldn't these be done at weekends or late at night?
Mk3Spitfire said:
^^ not strictly true. The 3 week course is for standard response. There is then a 4 week course for advanced drivers, and then a further VIP course for the next step up again. So an advanced driver will have done 7 weeks.
that might of course be why i said" [they are ]all advanced emergency drivers - so have had several more weeks training {above the the three weeks for response driver status mentioned in my first paragraph] to become 'advanced' drivers and more training again to become TPAC and/or pursuit manager trained while working traffic / ARV /force support type roles ...
"
Red Devil said:
The back story.
http://blackrat.20six.co.uk/blackrat/art/68057/Inc...
It's from some time ago (SEG don't use BMW bikes now and Kofi Annan retired as UN Secretary General in 2006).
Thanks, fascinating reading. Impressive stuff.http://blackrat.20six.co.uk/blackrat/art/68057/Inc...
It's from some time ago (SEG don't use BMW bikes now and Kofi Annan retired as UN Secretary General in 2006).
t.............. Somebody better tell our lot they are supposed to be armed!!! Lol 
Red Devil said:
SEG are exceptionally good at what they do.
All their motorcycle officers are armed.
Training run - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8A_Un28wc8
Notice how they keep moving throughout.
The back story - http://blackrat.20six.co.uk/blackrat/art/68057/Inc...
It's from some time ago (SEG don't use BMW bikes now and Kofi Annan retired as UN Secretary General in 2006).
The real deal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCtsUFlw2hY
Some choice language at the driver of the blue Lexus @ 1:47
Not all SEG are armed,especially the County forces (the MET definitely are)All their motorcycle officers are armed.
Training run - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8A_Un28wc8
Notice how they keep moving throughout.
The back story - http://blackrat.20six.co.uk/blackrat/art/68057/Inc...
It's from some time ago (SEG don't use BMW bikes now and Kofi Annan retired as UN Secretary General in 2006).
The real deal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCtsUFlw2hY
Some choice language at the driver of the blue Lexus @ 1:47
h8tax said:
They seem a lot more switched on than the 'average' blue light plod.
Considering their usual clientele, one might hope that they are well above 'average'! 
mph1977 said:
SEG are all advanced emergency drivers - so have had several more weeks training to become 'advanced' drivers and more training again to become TPAC and/or pursuit manager trained while working traffic / ARV /force support type roles ...
i don;t know if all SEG are also dual bike + car advanced - you basically repeat the Response and advanced courses to get them on bikes as well as cars
this is before any additional training ...
I wouldn't have thought that traffic/ARV personnel would receive bodyguard and anti-hijack training. i don;t know if all SEG are also dual bike + car advanced - you basically repeat the Response and advanced courses to get them on bikes as well as cars
this is before any additional training ...
From the link I posted earlier:
An applicant to the group must already be experienced as a Class One driver and Class One motorcyclist. If accepted, he (or she - there have been women PCs in the group) must successfully complete the national Bodyguard course, an anti-hijack course (a week at Hendon Driving School learning high speed turns, breaking through road blocks, where to hit the vehicle that is attempting to block you - and more) as well as various advanced firearms courses.
I'm just an ordinary MoP though so have no expert/insider knowledge.
FuryExocet said:
Not all SEG are armed,especially the County forces (the MET definitely are)
In my defence, the article I mentioned didn't involve any County force.I've found another clip - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_hJD3e_48I - you can clearly see the MET officer is armed whereas the SYP ones aren't. The latter appear to be riding a different type (make?) of bike as well. My guess is that the reason for only the MET being armed is that vast majority of those that they escort will mainly be travelling in/through London. Do those same officers accompany them wherever they go in the UK?
That said, I was under the impression that there are only two SEGs as such. The MET and the MoD. The latter deals with the movement of nuclear weapons and SNM.
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