TV cop to the rescue
Published: June 9, 2005
A former star of TV’s cop drama serial Heartbeat returned to crime-fighting when he came to the rescue of a real-life PC who was being assaulted.
Jason Durr, who played dapper copper Mike Bradley in the hit ITV series, came to the rescue after seeing the constable struggling with an 18-year-old man in Claremont Road, Highgate, on Sunday evening.
Mr Durr, 38, who lives nearby and is due to start filming a new two-part drama, said: “I spotted one of the boys hiding in a bush nearby and grabbed him and held on to him.
“Then I saw the policeman struggling with another boy, and it looked like he was getting the better of him.
“The poor guy was on his own and was trying to be all things to all people. It was one against three and those odds aren’t good.
“So I handed the boy to some onlookers and said ‘Don’t let go of him’.
“The policeman was being turned over by this bloke, and I ran down the street and literally leapt on him and got him in a head lock. Then before I knew it, the cavalry had arrived.”I didn’t think about what I was doing, I just did it.”
But despite his heroic actions, Mr Durr said his experience as a 1950s rural copper in Heartbeat didn’t translate to real-life Crouch End crime in 2005.
“All the people in the street thought it was hilarious that my role had somehow stayed with me, but it didn’t really help me.
“I just did what I think anybody would have done in that situation.
“I think I would rather stick to pretending to be a policeman, that is much more fun.”
A teenager has been arrested and charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer, aggravated taking and driving of a car, dangerous driving, driving without insurance and drug offences relating to two outstanding arrest warrants.
A police spokesman said: “Although we obviously do not encourage the public to get involved in incidents that might present a risk to their safety, in this case we would like to extend our thanks to the member of the public who came to the officer’s aid.”
The incident began after a routine patrol spotted four youths in a stolen blue Volkswagen Polo in Middle Lane, Crouch End, at 7.30pm.
When the two officers stopped the car, one managed to apprehend the front passenger before the car sped off, and a chase ensued.
The Polo crashed into another car in Claremont Road, and the other three youths ran off.
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