The Motorway Cops: Catching Britain's Speeders

The programme returns, this time following officers from Northumbria Police as they patrol 6,000 miles of roads in the north-east of England. An angry van driver gives a PC a dressing down despite the fact he's got no MOT or a full set of legal tyres, while another officer faces a suspected drug driver whose vocal boyfriend won't come quietly.

In Sunderland, PC Martain Anderson stops a car thought to be linked to organised crime. The driver doesn't have a valid driving licence, and things only get worse for him when Martain smells cannabis.

On the nightshift in Newcastle, PCs Jan Simlesa and Jamie Leslie spot a driver with his foot down in a top of the range BMW. The young man behind the wheel confesses to being a keen petrol head with deep pockets, but the banter only gets him so far as he soon finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time when the cops smell booze. A roadside breathalyser reveals a shocking result.

PC Marc Crammond has a number one pet peeve: drivers talking on their mobile phones. As he spots one chatty driver and pulls him over, Marc sees a phone in the passenger footwell, but the man claims to have no idea how it got there. The stop turns into a standoff, but as Marc delves deeper into his driving history, making a call on the move is the least of this motorist's worries.

In Sunderland, PC Will Hunter and PC Mary-Anne Hutchison don't like the look of a car that's seen better days. As the driver pulls in to get his tyres checked, he spots the cops, ditches his wheels and makes off on foot. But he's no match for Will and Mary-Anne who soon catch up with this slippery customer. But what does he have to hide?

A force-wide hunt for two stolen cars leads Jan, Marc and Jamie to the seaside town of Whitley Bay. As Jamie goes it alone up against one suspected car thief, Jan and Marc race to back up their fellow officer. Once they have the suspect in cuffs, Jan and Marc turn detective and get help from the owner of the stolen cars to track down the remaining vehicle. But as they close in, what will be waiting for them?

It's the early hours of the morning in Newcastle City Centre and two reckless drivers are using the city streets as their own personal racetrack. As PC Brian Camsell tries to catch up with them, one car crashes. As Brian reads the riot act to the bashful boy racer he gets more than he bargained for. Another car hurtles past and despite the heavy police presence mounts the kerb and bursts a tyre. But this driver isn't stopping. As Brian races to catch him up it soon becomes clear what this dangerous driver has to hide.

In North Tyneside, PC Jan Simlesa does a double take with a suspected drug driver – he's arrested the familiar felon before. The suspect greets Jan like an old friend and despite a strong smell of booze is more than happy to be breathalysed. But it's the drugs test which brings him despair and leaves Jan teaching him a lesson.

On patrol in Sunderland, PCs Will Hunter and Mary-Anne Hutchison are comparing their policing styles, when Mary-Anne's copper's nose kicks in at the sight of a Ford Fiesta seemingly spooked by their cop car. As the Fiesta disappears down a back alley, Will and Mary-Anne stay on its tail. They stop the car and discover a learner driver who soon regrets letting their passenger come along for the ride.

In Newcastle, officers Jan Simlesa and Jamie Lesile race to back up another patrol behind a reckless joyrider in a Range Rover that's refusing to stop. As the cops close in, the suspects crash the car in a ball of flames. The driver and passenger escape the fire and make a run for it. The driver is nicked just feet from the inferno, leaving Jamie and Jan to pick up the hunt for the other man with the help of the police drone and dog teams.

With three years under his seatbelt as a Motorway Cop, PC Martain Anderson is no stranger to high-speed pursuits, but tonight he witnesses a driver driving so slowly Martain might as well follow him on foot! Indecisive indications at a snail's pace leaves Martian questioning whether the driver has even passed his test. After pulling the driver over he discovers it's only the second time the man has been behind the wheel of his own car. And further digging reveals Martain's suspicions were correct, as the driver admits he doesn't have a valid driving licence.

In Newcastle, Sergeant Dave Roberts spots a BMW with a smashed bumper. Checks reveal that it's a cloned vehicle driving on false plates. Dave requests a team of officers and patrol cars to join him in a plan to stop the car. Dave and two other units surround the vehicle forcing it to stop. Even though the uninsured driver claims to have done nothing wrong, with a quick search of the boot Dave discovers the original plates!

PCs Andy Jackson and Andy Clarke deal with a man who has a brake light out, only to be rudely interrupted by a shouty Range Rover driver wanting to get noticed. But he could live to regret his outburst when a background check reveals he has no insurance. The officers catch up with the outspoken driver, who proves his has no intention of coming quietly, throwing a string of insults at officers and barely letting them get a word in edge ways. But the police have the last laugh when the chatty driver is forced to head home on foot.

On the outskirts of Sunderland, PC Martain Anderson races to a shocking hit and run. A Ford Fiesta has ploughed into another car at high speed, sending it spinning and leaving the elderly driver with serious head injuries. To make matter worse, the occupants of the Fiesta flee the scene. But the crash has been captured on CCTV, showing the terrifying moment of impact.

It's late at night in Northumberland and PC Jan Simlesa is on the hunt for a van reported to be used in pallet and petrol thefts. When he finally tracks it down, the driver claims he's legit. But some detective work from Jan reveals that he shouldn't be on the road in the first place. Jan delivers the news that the van will be seized, and the driver doesn't disguise his annoyance.

In Sunderland, PC Martain Anderson spots a car that looks worse for wear, but as soon as he gets behind it, the vehicle ditches its passenger and makes off, sparking a pursuit through the city streets. PCs Marc Crammond and Jan Simlesa are patrolling Newcastle city centre when they pull over a driver, discovering a crack pipe when they search his vehicle, while PC Martain Anderson stakes out a suspected drug driver at a fast-food outlet.

PCs Jan Simlesa and Marc Crammond spot a driver with his foot down, weaving in and out of lanes and bullying other motorists out of his way. When the officers catch up to him, they discover the driver is Geordie legend Gazza. In Sunderland, PCs Martain Anderson and Adam Tate are on the hunt for a BMW driver with no insurance.

A driver refuses to stop for PC Brian Camsell and ditches his car, attempting to make a run for it. PC Jamie Leslie hunts for a car linked to an attempted house theft, a quick search of a suspect vehicle reveals possible tools of the burglary trade. Plus, PC Brian Camsell tracks an uninsured driver to a fast-food joint.

PC Jan Simlesa is called to a vehicle causing traffic chaos in the Tyne Tunnel, with workers having escorted the driver from his car, suspecting he is high on drugs. On the Spire Bridge in Sunderland, PC Will Hunter spots some dodgy driving and follows the vehicle to the tip, where he discovers the driver is uninsured and also sniffs out another reason why the man shouldn't be on the road.