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Two traffic patrols officers from North Berwick were involved in an incident whilst checking for speeding motorists on the A1 road last May. They were using a hand-held radar device to trap unwary motorists on the Edinburgh to London trunk road.
One of the unnamed officers used the device to check the speed of an approaching vehicle, and was surprised to find that his target had registered a speed in excess of 300 miles per hour. The ?8,000 radar then seized up and could not be reset by the bemused policemen.
The radar had in fact latched on to a NATO Harrier aircraft in the North Sea, which was taking part in a simulated low-flying exercise over the Borders and Southern Scotland and running the highway as a navigation point.
Following a complaint by the Chief Constable of the Lothian & Borders Police force to the RAF liaison office, it was revealed that the officers had a lucky escape. The tactical computer on board the aircraft not only detected and jammed the "hostile" radar equipment, but had automatically armed an air-to-ground missile ready to neutralise the perceived threat.
Luckily the Dutch pilot was alerted to the missile status and was able to override the automatic protection system before the missile was launched.
Lothian & Border Police Department have declined to comment, although it is understood that officers will be advised to point their radar guns inland in future.
One of the unnamed officers used the device to check the speed of an approaching vehicle, and was surprised to find that his target had registered a speed in excess of 300 miles per hour. The ?8,000 radar then seized up and could not be reset by the bemused policemen.
The radar had in fact latched on to a NATO Harrier aircraft in the North Sea, which was taking part in a simulated low-flying exercise over the Borders and Southern Scotland and running the highway as a navigation point.
Following a complaint by the Chief Constable of the Lothian & Borders Police force to the RAF liaison office, it was revealed that the officers had a lucky escape. The tactical computer on board the aircraft not only detected and jammed the "hostile" radar equipment, but had automatically armed an air-to-ground missile ready to neutralise the perceived threat.
Luckily the Dutch pilot was alerted to the missile status and was able to override the automatic protection system before the missile was launched.
Lothian & Border Police Department have declined to comment, although it is understood that officers will be advised to point their radar guns inland in future.
