Police car crashed after officer used nylon tights to cover vehicle’s emergency lights

'Any modifications made ought to be tested and approved by experts,' says watchdog

(Getty)

A police officer was seriously injured in a crash with a lorry after the emergency lights on his unmarked car had been covered with nylon tights, a watchdog has revealed.

The BMW crashed into the heavy goods vehicle parked in a layby after it swerved to avoid a car which moved into his lane on a dual carriageway.

Investigators were then told the unmarked car's emergency lights had been covered with nylon tights by a different officer before it was involved in the accident, the independent watchdog said.

An investigation by the force, North Wales Police, found the tights had significantly reduced the light output.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has now said there should be a national policy on covering lights.

It concluded the improvised covering could not be ruled out as a contributory factor to the crash – because it made it “extremely difficult” for the driver of the vehicle on the dual carriageway to see the flashing lights.

The subsequent IOPC investigation identified no national standards for such covering. It found a number of police forces across the country were using various methods – including nylon tights.

Catrin Evans, the IOPC's director for Wales, said: "Any modifications made ought to be tested and approved by experts rather than ad hoc solutions that may not be the safest method. For the safety of police drivers and the public alike, testing would also help make sure that any coverings do not significantly limit the visibility of the emergency blue lights."

The IOPC's recommendations have been accepted by the National Police Chiefs' Council which has now commissioned a working group to produce the new policy.

The watchdog found no case to answer for the officers involved in covering the grille lights.

No members of the public were hurt in the crash.