Engine steams past eagle-eyed Pc in Dudley town centre
It may have been full steam ahead for one motorist driving through a town centre in the Midlands – but probably not quick enough to be caught speeding by eagle-eyed police.
This picture shows a 130-year-old steam engine being clocked by Pc Ian Priest as the driver trundles it up Stone Street in Dudley town centre.
The officer is seen aiming his hi-tech radar gun to calculate the speed of the century-old traction engine. Dudley Police put the picture on its official Twitter account yesterday.
In the caption, the team said: "Not sure PC Ian Priest was expecting a steam engine to pass him by whilst conducting a pro-laser speed op in Dudley"
Shoppers saw the unusual spectacle unfold during the peak lunchtime period.
One said: "It was quite a sight – you normally expect to see them pointing the laser guns at souped-up boy racer cars, not a steam engine. He wasn't going very fast – he was more likely to hold the traffic up than break the speed limit.
Meanwhile, on Twitter users joked about the picture.
"How many sheep did this cost the driver?," one said.
Traction steam engines – often called road locomotives – became popular in Britain from the 1850s.
