This action-packed documentary series profiles the work of a high-speed police interception unit in Essex. Led by specially trained officers and equipped with the fastest vehicles in the force, the team tackles the most difficult-to-catch criminals on a daily basis. In the opening instalment, police chase a drug dealer down a motorway at night; a drunk driver risks his life in a bid to escape arrest; and one of Essex’s most wanted car thieves leads the interceptors on a high-speed pursuit.
Armed with outrageously fast cars and the very latest kit, the police interceptors are the new kids on the block in the fight against crime – and they are getting results fast. The government is spending serious money on cutting-edge technology and hand-picked, highly trained officers. Using Essex as a test bed, they have created the hardest-hitting police unit in the country.

With a population of 1.3 million people and a network of major motorways running through the county, Essex is a tough patch to police. “We get a lot of people trafficking, we get a lot of high-level crime, a lot of drug dealing – and all of those people involved use vehicles,” explains Inspector Paul Moor. “We are all about denying criminals the use of the road.” The interceptor team is manned by 20 hand-picked officers who are specially trained to handle vehicles at high speed. “It’s not for the faint hearted,” remarks PC Dennis Logey. The teams are kitted out with the latest police vehicles in Britain, which have been specially adapted from rally cars. These vehicles are capable of massive acceleration and boast a range of gadgets, including tracking devices linked to a super-computer back at HQ. The interceptors are also aided by a fully equipped helicopter, which is fitted with a long-range telephoto lens that can read a number plate from seven miles away.
Also key to the unit’s success is a powerful computer system which links every camera in the county. The Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system enables target cars to be tracked across the area and their position to be fed to the police interceptors. All of this technology and expertise means that the police interceptors are cracking down on Essex crime – and the criminals rarely know what has hit them.
The first episode kicks off with an adrenalinepumping night-time pursuit. The ANPR system spots a passing car which has a history of failing to stop for police. The vehicle is registered to a known drug dealer, and when the driver ignores signals to pull over, the interceptors know they have another customer on their hands. The vehicle races off at speeds reaching a staggering 140mph, with the police in hot pursuit.
As five police cars close in on the vehicle, the suspect crashes through a line of bollards and bursts his tyres on a specially laid ‘stinger’ trap. With his wheels shredded, the criminal’s speed drops to around 40mph, but his vehicle becomes harder to control. Police perform a ‘TPAC manoeuvre’ to box the car in and the driver tries to ram his way free. Eventually the suspect is brought to a halt and hauled from his car, still resisting arrest.
Elsewhere, officers have picked up reports of a drunk driver weaving in and out of traffic. The cops manage to divert the man onto a country road where he is less of a danger to other drivers but, before they can bring him to a stop, the car flips over 360 degrees and lands upright in the middle of the road. Incredibly, the driver is largely unharmed, and a cursory inspection of the vehicle reveals it is stolen. “He was very lucky,” says one officer at the scene. “70 or 80mph whilst under the influence is not a good combination.”
Also this week, the team pursues a pair of lads in what could be a stolen BMW; one of Essex’s most prolific car thieves leads officers in a reckless chase; and mechanic Dan reveals exactly what makes these police intercept vehicles so special.