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Murder trial is told how brave PC’s feet were whipped from under him
THREAT Chris Packham
BBC naturalist Chris Packham has slammed an MP’s plan that could stop bats living in churches.
The Springwatch host, 58, called a Bill sponsored by Tory Sir Christopher Chope, “just plain wrong”.
He said: “Churches have been a refuge for generations of bats and a number of organisations are working together collaboratively to protect these special creatures.
“Current legislation protects bats from harm.”
The Bat Conservation Trust also criticised the private member’s bill, which aims to give church officials much more freedom in dealing with problematic roosts.
The charity said the Bat Habitats Regulation Bill – going through the House – “threatens the conservation of British bats”.
Cars are head to head
A POLICEMAN has told of the moment he saw his colleague dragged to his death as he tried to stop quad bike thieves.
Dashcam footage played in court showed the desperate hunt for PC Andrew Harper after his feet were “whipped from under him” by a tow strap attached to the thieves’ Seat Toledo.
The 28-year-old was pulled for more than a mile after getting entangled in the rope. Three teenagers deny murder.
PC Andrew Shaw said his partner got out of their unmarked BMW when they came head to head on a country lane with the Seat towing the stolen bike.
The footage shows the boy who was riding the bike running around one side of the police vehicle after detaching the tow strap. The Seat drives around the other side of the stationary patrol car.
PC Shaw said the teen then jumped into the Seat through a window as PC Harper chased him before getting
Bike rider set to flee caught up in the strap. He said: “I could see him running in the road.
“My first thought was he’s running after the car trying to get in it.
“I thought he was trying to get to the open door, drag them out of the car.
“As the car accelerated PC Harper just appeared to fall back as if his feet had been whipped from under him and that’s pretty much the last I saw of him.
“It was so quick you don’t even have time to put your hands out to steady yourself.”
The newly married officer died from catastrophic injuries at the scene in Sulhamstead, Berks, on
August 15, 2019. The
PC’s stab vest in road video played at the Old Bailey showed PC Shaw frantically turning his car around, chasing after the thieves and driving past PC Harper’s stab vest lying in the road. He
CREW MATES PC Shaw, above, and PC Harper is heard saying: “My colleague got out of the vehicle, ran after the vehicle. I have now lost him.”
He is asked to confirm the location before another officer states: “There is a body in the road, body in the road. Just fell out of the vehicle.”
PC Shaw replies: “That’s probably PC Harper. I’ve just found his stab vest.” The video ends with PC Shaw rushing over to join an officer standing over PC Harper, who was lying in the road. Seat driver Henry Long, 18, and two 17-year-olds admit conspiring to steal the bike but deny murder. Long, of Reading, admits manslaughter, which his co-accused deny. The Thames Valley officers were responding to a burglary near Stanford Dingley, Berks, after 11pm. They had been due to finish at 7pm but due to a surveillance job they were not stood down until 10pm.
The trial continues.