Discussion
Thought you might like this:
Two traffic patrols officers from North Berwick were involved in an incident
whilst checking for speeding motorists on the A1 road last May. They were
using a hand-held radar device to trap unwary motorists on the Edinburgh to
London trunk road.
One of the unnamed officers used the device to check the speed of an
approaching vehicle, and was surprised to find that his target had
registered a speed in excess of 300 miles per hour. The £8,000 radar then
seized up and could not be reset by the bemused policemen.
The radar had in fact latched on to a NATO Tornado aircraft in the North
Sea, which was taking part in a simulated low-flying exercise over the
Borders and Southern Scotland.
Following a complaint by the Chief Constable of the Lothian & Borders Police
force to the RAF liaison office, it was revealed that the officers had a
lucky escape.The tactical computer on board the aircraft not only detected
and jammed the "hostile" radar equipment, but had automatically armed an
air-to-ground missile ready to neutralise the perceived threat.
Luckily the Dutch pilot was alerted to the missile status and was able to
override the automatic protection system before the missile was launched.
Lothian & Border Police Department have declined to comment, although it is
understood that officers will be advised to point their radar guns inland in
future.
Two traffic patrols officers from North Berwick were involved in an incident
whilst checking for speeding motorists on the A1 road last May. They were
using a hand-held radar device to trap unwary motorists on the Edinburgh to
London trunk road.
One of the unnamed officers used the device to check the speed of an
approaching vehicle, and was surprised to find that his target had
registered a speed in excess of 300 miles per hour. The £8,000 radar then
seized up and could not be reset by the bemused policemen.
The radar had in fact latched on to a NATO Tornado aircraft in the North
Sea, which was taking part in a simulated low-flying exercise over the
Borders and Southern Scotland.
Following a complaint by the Chief Constable of the Lothian & Borders Police
force to the RAF liaison office, it was revealed that the officers had a
lucky escape.The tactical computer on board the aircraft not only detected
and jammed the "hostile" radar equipment, but had automatically armed an
air-to-ground missile ready to neutralise the perceived threat.
Luckily the Dutch pilot was alerted to the missile status and was able to
override the automatic protection system before the missile was launched.
Lothian & Border Police Department have declined to comment, although it is
understood that officers will be advised to point their radar guns inland in
future.
It might be possible ... except for the arming missile bit.
Mind you, one morning a few years ago I was proceeding up the relatively empty M40 when a couple of USAF A10s out of Upper Heyford decided my Jeep looked like a British Army APC and decided to practice straffing runs on it.
Streaky
Mind you, one morning a few years ago I was proceeding up the relatively empty M40 when a couple of USAF A10s out of Upper Heyford decided my Jeep looked like a British Army APC and decided to practice straffing runs on it.
Streaky
206xsi said:
You just missed the arms fair...
You are probably right *sigh*.
Probably horrendously expensive as well, but just think of it, would only take one trip down a road to reduce all cameras to scrap.
A few days driving around and the plague could be alleviated... A few weeks and most of the SE could be clear...
And with the sheer cost associated with the cameras there is no way that much infrastructure could be replaced within a reasonable period of time.
Then again, causing tens of millions of pounds of damage to the camera network would likely get teh person involved several years in her Majesty's chain of holiday inns....
). 
My mate lived in Alnwick and has heard this story told, each time with a slight difference to make it more interesting.
Basically, it is true to a point.
A couple of plods were doing checks on vehicles on a A1 up by Berwick, when they thought it would be a laugh to "target" a jet fighter approaching from the sea.
The device didn't work, probably the same way the gatso didn't take a photo on topgear over a certain speed, and thats the end of the story.
Oh yes, they then told someone in a pub, who told someone else, etc etc etc....
Basically, it is true to a point.
A couple of plods were doing checks on vehicles on a A1 up by Berwick, when they thought it would be a laugh to "target" a jet fighter approaching from the sea.
The device didn't work, probably the same way the gatso didn't take a photo on topgear over a certain speed, and thats the end of the story.
Oh yes, they then told someone in a pub, who told someone else, etc etc etc....
streaky said:
Mind you, one morning a few years ago I was proceeding up the relatively empty M40 when a couple of USAF A10s out of Upper Heyford decided my Jeep looked like a British Army APC and decided to practice straffing runs on it.
Streaky
The palce where my dad works apparently looks like a missile bunker so the RAF practice bombing runs on it (quite interesting to watch btw), they got a bit of a surprise when the factory had a 150ft crane on site one day
I have heard the same story in Cumbria, which is much more believable.
It has coppers trying the radar guns (that dates it a bit) at flying traffic and the auto jammer going off thus bringing up the error code.
But it all ends there otherwise all the petrol stations around would have been 'mavericked' along with other users of radar (radio waves).
It has coppers trying the radar guns (that dates it a bit) at flying traffic and the auto jammer going off thus bringing up the error code.
But it all ends there otherwise all the petrol stations around would have been 'mavericked' along with other users of radar (radio waves).
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