Wigan bike pursuit crash PCs acted appropriately, watchdog finds

The man was riding an electric bike when he was chased by police officers

Police who chased a man on an e-bike who went on to crash into a signpost and was critically injured acted "appropriately", a watchdog has found.

The 27-year-old was pursued by officers after he ignored their commands to stop in Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, on 6 June 2021.

The rider then hit a signpost and suffered serious head injuries.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct found the crash happened after the rider lost his balance.

The pursuit began when two officers saw four people riding e-bikes thought to be stolen along the Leigh guided busway, the IOPC heard.

One of the Greater Manchester Police officers, riding an unmarked motorbike, switched on his emergency lights and siren.

The IOPC said one officer made unsuccessful attempts to stop one suspect by making physical contact with the bike using his legs.

The motorbikes were travelling between 14 and 26mph (41km/h), the watchdog found.

'Reasonable force'

And during the attempts to stop the e-bikes, there was either a hedge or a grassy slope nearby to cushion the rider's fall.

The chase then continued in Shuttle Street, where CCTV footage showed the rider had attempted to mount the pavement.

He then lost his balance and hit the signpost.

An IOPC spokesman said there was no physical contact with either police officer or vehicle at this point.

The man struck a signpost in Tyldesley after he ignored officers' commands to stop

The report noted officers had administered first aid to the man while they waited for an ambulance.

The IOPC said: "In relation to the man's complaints concerning the use of force, officer's actions immediately following the pursuit, and whether they clearly identified themselves as police officers, we found the service provided by the police to be acceptable."

The IOPC's Amanda Rowe said: "It is clear one of the officers attempted to bring the pursuit to an early conclusion using force, as allowed by law.

"We accepted his justification for this, as well as his risk assessment of the situation, and considered the level of force to be reasonable."

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