‘Hero’ officer who tackled ‘feral’ e-bike riders ‘forced out of police’

PC Tim Bradshaw, who was taken to court after knocking two ‘feral’ boys off their e-bikes, said they should ‘face the consequences’.

Tim Bradshaw, 55, said he used “tactical contact” with his cop car to stop two youths riding at more than 50mph, endangering themselves and the public in Bognor Regis on November 3 2022.

The policeman of 22 years faced a charge of serious injury by dangerous driving, and possibly prison, but after a five-day trial at Portsmouth Crown Court he was acquitted.

The stress of the ordeal forced Mr Bradshaw take early retirement last year. He was an “Outstanding” police constable, winning the innovation award in 2014.

“Officers are always looking over their shoulders, terrified of doing or saying the wrong thing,” Mr Bradshaw told MailOnline.

“It makes them reluctant to think on their feet and be hands-on.”

“There is the great obsession with how we are perceived,” he added.

The two youths involved were Dominic Mizzi, who reportedly has 26 convictions, and Mason McGarry, with 40.

E-bikes can be ridden on roads without a drivers license or number plate. They are able to hit speeds of 60mph, while the official limit is 15.5mph.

Mr Bradshaw told the newspaper “they would sidle silently alongside a patrol car, kick its doors and taunt officers with rude hand gestures.

“It was impossible to catch them because they knew all the alleyways we couldn’t go down, all the nooks and crannies.”

He said that Sussex Police previously authorised tactical contact on three occasions.

Mr Bradshaw continued “An opportunity presented itself and I tapped them from behind. It was suggested that I acted out of anger – absolute rubbish.

“McGarry sprinted off but I explained to Mizzi as he lay groaning at the roadside that I did it to stop them endangering their own lives and those of the public. Genuine reasons.

“He admitted that he was in pain not from what had just happened but from his injuries from his previous crash. A very small glimmer of remorse crossed his face – but it didn’t last.”

The copper said that the young men weren’t punished.

“But if you are criminally responsible for what you do then you should face the consequences. If you repeatedly offend and never get punished, what message does that send out?

“Punishment for young offenders all too often now means a referral to the youth offending team. In other words sitting him down and having a chat. That’s the punishment. A chat,” he said.

Sakine Cihan, 56, was killed in March 2020 after being hit by an e-bike ridden at 30mph in London.

Army veteran Jim Blackwood was killed after being knocked down by an e-bike while putting his bins out in Rochester, Kent.

Carter Ralph, a ten-year-old boy was left with severe facial injuries after being hit by an e-bike that mounted the pavement in Loughborough, Leicestershire last October.

Mr Bradshaw told the newspaper that he was a ‘proactive’ officer, often stopping his patrol car to speak to business owners, nightclub bouncers and shopkeepers in Bognor.

He said: “Most officers couldn’t care less about this side of the job.

“They turn up for work, put their uniform on, switch their radio on, sit in briefing, wait to be told what to do and where to go, come back to the police station, have a cup of tea and wait for the next job.”

He described how he kept a black notebook of intelligence information he may need.

Calling it his “bible”, Mr Bradshaw said he noted names, dates of birth, and number plates in case he needed them.

He believes that policing is a “lost art”, as modern officers don’t care to develop their “copper’s nose”.

Mr Bradshaw is now a bus driver.

He claimed he saw McGarry while working: “The lad jumped on to my bus as I was parked in the station, and I got up and stood on the steps to stop McGarry getting on.

“He looked at me all cocky and arrogant, telling everyone on board that I’d knocked him down but that he had taken my job.

“He threatened my family. Then he took a big spliff out of his mouth and blew smoke in my face. I said, ‘Go away Mason and take your cannabis with you’. Then he lunged at me. He was joined by his mate in a balaclava who was threatening to stab another bus driver. Of course no action was taken against them.”

The ex-policeman’s parting words to the newspaper were: “I fear nothing will change until there’s a shift in direction from the very top. That means ensuring there are enough experienced officers to help younger colleagues find their way. It means ending the ideology of box-ticking. And it means empowering the police to be robust and hands-on.

“This is the only way we are going to tackle the huge problem that illegal e-bikes are causing all over our country. If we don’t grasp this reality then the unscrupulous criminals causing chaos will keep running rings around us.”

Sussex Police told MailOnline officers were “aware of the impact illegal and anti-social riding of e-bikes and e-scooters has… and have carried out proactive operations dedicated to tackling the issue.”

They said: “Our officers are faced with difficult situations on a daily basis, and we do not underestimate the strength and bravery they show in making split-second decisions.

“We police by consent so it is right that our actions are scrutinised, particularly where there is an incident that has resulted in injury.”