VIDEO - Police officers join in Saturday night fun in Newbury
Reveller films officers pushing each other around in a trolley
POLICE officers found a new way of patrol-leying the streets of Newbury on Saturday night – as this video below shows.
While revellers were out on the town getting ‘trollied’, two officers came up with their own way of getting in on the act.
When called on to remove a shopping trolley from a group of people, the officers used it as an opportunity to provide a bit of entertainment by jumping in and pushing each other around.
The unfamiliar sight was captured on video and uploaded to YouTube.
One man told The Mirror: “They were real cops, people have asked if they were in fancy dress, but they were real police."
He added: "I found the whole thing totally weird."
The officers antics have been met with criticism by some, who say they should have been acting more responsibily while on duty.
But Thames Valley Police has come out in support of its officers and said that using humour can be an “effective way of reducing tension”.
Chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, Jonathan Isaby, said: "People like to see bobbies on the beat but preferably on their own two feet rather than being pushed around in a shopping trolley.
"There's a time and a place for having a bit of fun but many residents will raise an eyebrow at these antics if these officers were actually on duty."
A spokesman for Thames Valley Police, James Williams, said: “While we always expect our officers to act professionally and promote safety in the community, we also expect them to engage positively especially when policing the night time economy.
“In this instance officers simply removed a trolley from a group of revellers from a town centre location, choosing a humorous and engaging manner to do so.
“At such times, humour, when used appropriately, can be a very effective tactic in reducing tension and promoting safety.”
What do you think? Light hearted fun or acting irresponsibly? Email dan.cooper@newburynews.co.uk
