Injured motorcyclist left in ditch over police territory confusion
A MOTORCYCLIST was left in a ditch with a broken arm due to police confusion over which regional force should respond.
Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire police have all apologised to the rider, who waited nearly two hours and forty minutes for emergency services to arrive.
The motorcyclist suffered arm injuries in a crash on Sunday on the B645 near Tilbrook, Cambridgeshire, close to the border of the three counties.
A 999 call was made shortly after 4pm but police did not arrive until 6.40pm.
Bedfordshire Police said it was told of the crash by the Northamptonshire force at 4.25pm, but responded that the accident was not in its territory.
Bedfordshire Police said it sent a car at 5.30pm after being told that no other emergency services had gone, but the distance and difficulties finding the victim meant it took another hour and 10 minutes to arrive.
The casualty was taken in the car to Bedford Hospital.
The force said it understood that East Midlands Ambulance Service had been contacted but the service told the BBC the incident had not been logged.
Cambridgeshire Police said it was still unclear which force area the crash site was in but it was ‘clear that a better response should have been given’.
Ch Insp Nick Lyall of Bedfordshire Police said the forces ‘would like to apologise to the man involved’ and that an investigation was underway.
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