Sussex Police say "it's none of your business" after high-speed chase

9:00am Friday 3rd July 2009

By Emily Walker, Chief Reporter

Police have told the public "It's none of your business" after a daylight high-speed training exercise involving five cars and a helicopter on the A23.

Drivers were shocked to be caught up in the dramatic police operation on one of Sussex's busiest roads.

Five police cars and the force helicopter swooped on a red car as it raced down the dual carriageway at speeds thought to exceed the national speed limit.

But the whole stunt was a training exercise and Sussex Police refused to discuss whether the safety of motorists was put at risk.

Motorists who saw the two patrol cars chasing the red Rover, three more setting up a road block and the police helicopter flying low overhead contacted the The Argus, believing a serious crime had taken place.

Delivery driver Dave Herbert, of Rustington, who watched the drama unfold said: "I was coming out of Crawley when I first saw the police cars with their lights flashing by Handcross.

"They were going well in excess of 70mph. I was going 70mph and they must have been doing more than 90 mph.

“I didn't know what was going on, but they were really trying to catch him and trying to bump each other off the road."

Sussex Police's Haywards Heath traffic unit , responsible for the exercise, would not confirm the details of the exercise.

A female PC from Haywards Heath roads policing unit, who refused to give her full name, but was identified as PC Sue Whittles by the police press office, said: “It is no one's business, this is a police matter regarding training.

“It is none of The Argus' business and it is none of the business of any member of the public who saw it.

“It happens every day of the year and members of the public are always ringing up, if they choose to ring The Argus then that's up to them."

A police spokeswoman added: "Sussex Police ensures officers receive the highest possible standard of training at all times, in line with national guidelines.

“ In particular, it is essential that police drivers maintain and enhance their driving skills, to ensure public safety.

“Driver training courses, both practical and classroom based are ongoing, and exercises regularly take place on motorways and on country lanes in our county."