POLICE in County Durham have been ordered not to chase criminals at speed amid safety fears about the high-powered BMWs they drive.
Durham Constabulary has joined forced across the country to introduce a 'no pursuit policy' after concerns were made about the cars following the death of a PC in Cumbria.
The directive, which is said to ban pursuits over the speed limit unless there is an immediate threat to life, was implemented after PC Nick Dumphreys died when a BMW police vehicle caught fire during a 999 call in Cumbria in 2020.