Police swooped to “arrest” a disabled teenager just days before Christmas – to grant her a festive wish.
Officers screeched onto a quiet street in Doncaster, South Yorks., on Monday with blue lights and sirens to nick Emily Richards, 15, who has Down’s Syndrome.
Emily told Santa that all she wanted this year was to be arrested as she is “obsessed” with cop cars.
Sergeant Gordon Sitch, officers Karen Stebel and Tim Croson from South Yorkshire’s Airport Policing Group attended Emily’s home to give her a Christmas surprise.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, officers could not put Emily in cuffs and had to stick to a safe two metre distance.
But they let her sit inside a police car, press the lights and sirens and chat with officers.
Emily also received special memorabilia, including a plaque, a badge and a traditional police helmet for her to commemorate her visit.
Sergeant Gordon Sitch said: “We have had a lovely afternoon making Emily’s Christmas wish come true. Seeing the excitement on her face is what Christmas is all about.
“We wish the Richards family a wonderful Christmas.”
Her dad Wayne said the police-mad teen first became fascinated by police started due to her love of Coronation Street after seeing characters get arrested.
Emily, who spent the first seven Christmases of her life in hospital due to complications with her condition, has been shielding since March due to the Covid pandemic.
So her parents Wayne and Allison reached out to bobbies in South Yorkshire to ask if they could visit her ahead of Christmas.
Wayne added: “The visit was fantastic and made her day.”
A spokesman for the force said: “After a difficult year, we wanted to make sure that Emily’s 2020 Christmas was one to remember where her wishes come true.”
