Never mind the bollards! Police car hoisted by electric barriers

It is always uplifting to know that the local constabulary are keeping our streets safe - and if they can do it while bringing a smile to our faces, so much the better.

Yet there is such a thing as taking it too far, which is precisely what happened to two hapless officers in Leeds city centre. 

 About three feet too far, in fact.

The spirits of local shoppers were not the only thing lifted when retractable bollards unexpectedly sprang into life in Kirkgate last week.

In a moment that was more Police Academy than police protection, the front of a white Peugeot patrol car was spiked by the bollards, which had been lowered to allow the vehicle to pass, lifting the front wheels of the ground.

While some onlookers might have wondered whether the officers had performed an illegal manoeuvre - surely there must be a law against performing wheelies in a pedestrian area? - others paused to capture the moment on film.

West Yorkshire Police did their best to keep a straight face. 

'A police vehicle was damaged in Kirkgate on December 6 when barriers malfunctioned,' the force said in a statement.

'The officers involved were not injured, and the car was recovered for repair. The barrier fault was reported to Leeds City Council.' 

Remarkably, it is not the first time such an incident has occurred. 

Three years ago, a police car parked in the Kirkgate area became similarly stricken after automatic bollards malfunctioned.

If nothing else, the latest incident demonstrates that West Yorkshire Police are always prepared to go above and beyond the call of duty.