It’s always encouraging to know that local police are keeping our streets safe, and if they can do it while making us smile, all the better.
However, there is a possibility of going too far, which is precisely what happened to two unfortunate officers in Leeds city centre.
In fact, about three feet too far.
Local shoppers’ spirits weren’t the only thing lifted when retractable bollards unexpectedly came to life in Kirkgate last week.
In a moment that was more Police Academy than police protection, the front of a white Peugeot patrol car became stuck in the bollards, which had been lowered to allow the vehicle to pass, lifting the front wheels off the ground.
While some viewers might have wondered if the officers had performed an illegal maneuver, surely there must be a law against performing wheelies in a pedestrian zone. – others paused to capture the moment on film.
West Yorkshire Police did their best to keep a straight face.
“A police vehicle was damaged in Kirkgate on December 6 when barriers failed,” the force said in a statement.
Surely there must be a law against performing wheelies in a pedestrian zone? Police car got stuck on automatic bollards
Locals stopped and looked at the impaled vehicle. “The officers involved were not injured and the car was recovered for repairs,” West Yorkshire Police said in a statement.
Local shoppers’ spirits weren’t the only things that were lifted when the retractable bollards unexpectedly came to life in Kirkgate.
‘The officers involved were not injured and the car was recovered for repair. The barrier failure was reported to Leeds City Council.
Surprisingly, this is not the first time such an incident has occurred.
Three years ago, a police car parked in the Kirkgate area suffered similar damage after automatic bollards failed.
If nothing else, the latest incident shows that West Yorkshire Police are always willing to go above and beyond the call of duty.