Police dismiss Keir Starmer’s claims that he spoke with cop at cyclist crash scene – and reveal it was ‘off-duty PCSO’
COPS have said Sir Keir Starmer spoke to an "off-duty PCSO" at the scene of a cyclist crash, not an officer.
The confusing back and forth comes after the Labour leader's team insisted he gave his details to a cop - but British Transport Police initially said they had no record of this.
However this afternoon, a BTP spokesperson said: "It was not a police officer, it was an off-duty member of BTP staff that provided their details as a witness to the collision. It was a PCSO."
An onlooker described hearing “a loud bang” in Kentish Town and then seeing a cyclist on the ground “in a lot of pain” after an accident involving the Labour leader.
Police are probing the collision, which resulted in the rider being taken to hospital clutching an injured left arm.
Sir Keir, 58, exchanged insurance details with the cyclist before leaving him in the care of paramedics.
By the time two police cars arrived at the scene in North West London, on Sunday lunchtime Sir Keir had left.
Cops later left a message at his nearby home asking him to report to a police station. Sir Keir, a former Director of Public Prosecutions, said he attended a police station that day and is believed to have given a full statement about the crash.
He is said to have been driving an SUV when it was in collision with the cyclist outside a pub.
'LOUD BANG'
IT developer Nicolas Janes, 39, said: “I was walking and there was a bang. A loud bang.
“I didn’t witness it directly but could hear the impact.
“I saw what happened after. The cyclist was on the pavement, he was holding his arm. He looked like he was in a lot of pain.
“There were people helping the cyclist. He just remained on the floor in pain. They looked concerned for him.”
London Ambulance Service was alerted by a 999 call at 12.08pm and dispatched a crew to the scene.
Another local witness said: “I saw the aftermath.
“There were two police cars in the road and an ambulance.”
The Metropolitan Police yesterday confirmed officers from its Roads and Transport Policing Command are investigating the circumstances of the crash.
There were people helping the cyclist. He just remained on the floor in pain. They looked concerned for him.
Onlooker
Bizarrely, The Sun pictured Sir Keir outside Kentish Town Police Station yesterday morning but he later claimed he had been on a trip to “his tailors”.
Police — who have not named Sir Keir because he hasn’t been charged with any offence — confirmed that the driver had left the scene by the time officers arrived.
A spokesperson for Sir Keir said: “Keir was involved in a minor road traffic accident on Sunday.
“He spoke to a British Transport Police officer who attended the scene and swapped details with the officer and the other individual involved.
“Keir stayed at the scene until the ambulance arrived.
“Later that afternoon, he reported the incident to a police station in accordance with the law.
“Since the incident, Keir has also been in touch with the other individual involved.”
Under the 1988 Road Traffic Act, motorists involved in an accident in which anyone is injured must provide their insurance details to police as soon as possible, unless they have them when the crash happened.
The Met said: “Police were alerted by LAS at around 12.20hrs on Sunday to a report of a road traffic collision between a cyclist and car in Grafton Road, NW5.
“The driver of the car had stopped at the scene and exchanged details with the cyclist but had left before officers arrived.
“The male cyclist received a minor injury to his arm and was taken to hospital by LAS as a precaution.
“Officers later attempted to contact the driver of the car and left a message advising him to report the matter to police.
“The driver of the car subsequently attended a North London police station. He was not arrested or interviewed under caution.
“An investigation into the collision is ongoing.”
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 12.08pm to reports of a road traffic collision involving a car and a cyclist.
“We sent an ambulance crew to the scene. A person was treated at the scene and taken to a hospital.”
Why drivers MUST stop at the scene of an accident
Drivers must stop at the scene of any accident they are involved in and give their details — or face a possible jail term.
Section 170 (2) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 dictates drivers have to give their name, address and car registration to other parties.
And if the car is not theirs, they must also hand over the name and address of the owner.
If the driver cannot stop safely they must still report to a police station or an individual cop “as soon as reasonably practical”.
That can be longer than 24 hours.
The maximum sentence for failing to stop or report a role in an accident is six months’ jail.
Dangerous driving is shown by evidence driving had “fallen far below the standard required”
Careless driving includes driving too close to another vehicle.
Police carried out local inquiries in the wake of the crash, asking local businesses for CCTV. One worker said: “They came in and asked us a few questions. It was not long after it [the crash] took place.”
Last December, Labour pledged to make England one of the safest places for cycling and walking in the world.
Retired Met detective chief inspector Mick Neville said: “Although there is no suggestion at the moment any offences were committed in this incident, motorists can be charged over non-fatal collisions with dangerous driving, which carries a maximum punishment of two years imprisonment.
“There is an alternative charge of driving without due care and attention which is dealt with by way of a fine and points.”
Arsenal fan Sir Keir’s family home in Kentish Town, is worth about £1.8million.
He and wife Victoria bought it in 2004.
Most read in News
The couple married in 2007 — a year before he became Director of Public Prosecutions — and have two children.
Sir Keir, who is the MP for St Pancras and Holborn, owns a large field on the edge of posh commuter town Oxted in Surrey.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
He has a half share in his parents’ £500,000 semi-detached home which backs on to it.
Sir Keir is also MP for St Pancras and Holborn
