A boy who started a ‘scowling campaign’ at speeding motorists outside his house after his cat was run over and killed was visited by police – so he could use their speed gun.
Little Harry Cannell, seven, has been keeping a beady eye on traffic after he lost his beloved ginger cat Trevor.
Mum Claire, 37, bought him a hi-viz vest and a sign that read: “slow – children and animals”.
Harry stood outside beside it and started scowling at passing cars.
And when his mum Claire, 37, posted on a community Facebook page about reducing the speed limit on their street from 30mph to 20mph, Harry’s traffic policing came to the attention of actual traffic cops.
The seven-year-old was delighted when PC James Lister and his colleague, special officer Jason Crisp, from Norfolk Police, paid him a surprise visit last week.
The two cops gave Harry his very own hi-viz police jacket to wear – which swamped him, coming down below his knees – and showed him how to use their speed radar gun.
And the officers even showed Harry how everything worked inside their police car – including the siren.
Claire, from Mattishall, Norfolk, said: “Harry absolutely loved it. He was beaming from ear to ear.
“He’s always been starstruck by police officers. He sees them as like superheroes – he definitely wants to be a police officer when he grows up.
“He couldn’t believe he was really talking to them.”
She added: “They showed him how to point the speed gun at cars and read their speed.
“He even had a go at it with a couple of cyclists, which he thought was great.”
Claire said that she is hoping to keep in touch with PC Lister regarding changing the speed limit on their street.
And she added that she hopes she can arrange for the traffic officer to pay Harry another visit as and when lockdown rules are eased further.
She said: “Maybe he can get a ride in a police car next time. I don’t think he’d ever stop talking about that.”
