Durham Police Left Red-Faced After Seizing Uninsured Car.....with An Uninsured Police Bike...

Durham Police seized a vehicle with no insurance this week, ironically with a vehicle that was being used without a valid MOT....thus invalidating its insurance....

16th Jan 2025

In a move that has sparked widespread ridicule, Durham Police are said to have been caught in an embarrassing situation, after a routine traffic stop exposed one of their own police vehicles as being uninsured.

Whilst police vehicles can claim excemption from having an MOT, they still need to prove they've been inspected to a basic MOT standard & the Government database updated accordingly

The incident unfolded when a police motorcycle was used this earlier this week to seize a Fiat 500 reportedly being driven without the correct insurance on a suspected Traders Policy, however the motorcycle a BMW R1250 used to undertake the stop on the vehicle was later found to lack a valid MOT certificate, thereby invalidating its own insurance policy.

The irony of the situation was compounded when Durham Police proudly then announced the seizure of the red Fiat on their official social media page on January 16th, with the post detailing how the driver of the Fiat 500 was pulled over for suspected misuse of a trader’s insurance policy. However, eagle-eyed readers quickly turned their attention to the police motorcycle involved in the stop—a BMW R1250—and began their own investigations.

To the public’s shock, it was revealed the police motorcycle had not even undergone its first mandatory MOT inspection, a legal requirement for all vehicles unless exempt by law. Without this certificate, or any proof of the vehicles inspection of road-worthiness the motorcycle’s insurance would have been rendered void, its operation on public the road was in fact as illegal as the vehicle they'd seized earlier that day....

Its claimed a significant number of vehicles operated by both Cleveland and Durham Police forces are similarly lacking valid MOT certificates, with reports suggesting that many of these vehicles have not even been subjected to even a basic road-worthiness inspection, as required for police and emergency vehicles to maintain their exemption from the requirement of a standard MOT certificate..

Rules for thee, but not for me....

Its led to claims some police vehicles are not being inspected at government approved centres leading to those vehicles upon checks being made showing as having no valid MOT

The revelation has intensified public criticism of police conduct, with many accusing the forces of adopting a “rules for thee, but not for me” mentality. This incident has been cited as a glaring example of the very hypocrisy that undermines public confidence in police across Teesside & Durham.

Amidst a nationwide crackdown on uninsured motorists as insurance premiums reportedly hit their highest in decades, this blunder has drawn attention to the urgent need for greater oversight and regulation of police operations. Public trust in both Cleveland and Durham Police is already at an all-time low, and incidents like this only reinforce calls for accountability.

This isn’t the first time police forces have been accused of skirting the rules they're meant to enforce.

Critics argue that the failure to maintain roadworthy vehicles within the force highlights deeper issues of mismanagement and disregard for the same standards expected of ordinary citizens.

Durham Police have yet to issue a formal statement addressing how such an oversight occurred or just how the vehicle is covered under exemption due to its apparent lack of MOT inspection, but public pressure is said to be mounting, with many demanding answers and stricter regulations to prevent similar incidents in the future.