Caleb’ s US patrol car is turning heads in his newly-adopted home

Amotorist who has turned heads within days of moving to Angus after his unique vehicle was spotted on the streets of Forfar and Edzell admits he cannot believe how popular the car has been.

Caleb Keogh, who moved to Edzell a week ago after starting work in Aberdeen, has caused a stir after his police-issued Chevrolet Impala was spotted by locals.

The 25-year-old rail engineer is used to being spotted and asked about his unusual vehicle, but he admitted it was “funny” to appear in the local newspaper so soon after arriving.

He said: “I’ve just moved here and as soon as I look through the newspapers at the shops I see my car. I used to live down in South Shields in England and I was never in the newspaper then, but it seems like every time I come up to Scotland I’m in the headlines.

“I thought it was quite funny that it got spotted after I stopped at Tesco for some snacks.”

The car enthusiast first bought the decommissioned police vehicle three years ago after seeing it posted on eBay.

He said: “It cost me about £2,500, really cheap for what I got.

“It’s a Chevy Impala 9C1, which is exclusively sold to police in the United States.

“The big question that people always ask me is if it’s road legal and because it’s a foreign vehicle, it is.

“The sirens do work, but there’s an isolation switch in the bonnet so that, when I’m on a public road, I can’t trigger them at all – that’s how I get away with having them.

“I don’t turn the flashing lights on and if I did, I think I’d have Police Scotland at my door faster than I could say it wasn’t me.”

The car spent its first eight years as a patrol vehicle in Oklahoma, before being sold off at auction. Since then it has been moved to the UK and redecorated with the Sarasota Police livery.

Caleb said: “When I first got it, the only livery on it was the Oklahoma one and it was a bit basic.

“I really like the Sarasota one so I got that put on instead and it’s been turning heads ever since.”

The car has even caught the attention of the actual Sarasota Police Department, with a spokeswoman saying: “We appreciate the support for our agency and law enforcement.

“There are a few differences between his car and our patrol cars here in the US (car number isn’t the same, markings aren’t exactly the same but very similar).

“While Caleb doesn’t have any law enforcement authority overseas as a representative of our agency and our agency doesn’t really use the Impala vehicles any more (we’re moving to Tahoes), we do appreciate the support overseas.”

Pictures by Gareth Jennings. CALL THE COPS: Caleb Keogh, who recently moved to Edzell, bought the US police patrol car on eBay for £2,500.