Student officers from Cleveland Police rush from classroom to chase suspect

Student police officers from Cleveland Police swapped PowerPoints for pursuit when they rushed from their classroom to chase after a suspect on Thursday.

Officers from the Roads Policing Unit were tracking down a stolen Renault Megane in North Ormesby, in Middlesbrough, that travelled near Teesside University.

The Renault then crashed into a car and a bus as it turned onto Albert Road, and the suspect ran from the vehicle.

The student officers were in a lesson at the university when the incident happened and noticed the commotion outside.

Police Educator PC Nick Barclay and the two students left their books behind to chase after the suspect on foot alongside officers from the Roads Policing Unit.

After the suspects were caught on Borough Road, a 35-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a number of driving offences, and a 28-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle.

Chief Inspector Paul Glendenning, Learning and Development at Cleveland Police, said: “It’s a great way for them to see first-hand what they may come across on a day-to-day basis as a police officer.

"They’re only a few weeks into their course and now they have learned that, when you do become a police officer, you’re never off duty."