Royal cop reveals the day he became Anne’s footman

NO-NONSENSE Princess Anne once used her royal protection driver as a footrest, he has disclosed.

PC Tim Scothern, who is retiring after 30 years with the South Yorkshire force and spent 12 years in the TV series Traffic Cops and Police Interceptors, recalls when he had to collect Princess Anne from Doncaster racecourse and she got in the back of the vehicle with her boots on. He says: ‘She put her foot on my shoulder, unzipped her boot, saying: “My man, I hope you don’t mind me borrowing your shoulder,” then took her boot off and put her foot back on my shoulder. Her ladyin-waiting got another pair of shoes out, she put them on and said: “Thank you, my man, that was very kind.” ’

That was the height of politeness compared with the verbal kicking Anne gave the Press if they had upset her.