POLICE doing spot checks on drivers this morning (June 24) got an unexpected visit from some four-legged friends.

Officers were out in force in Scarborough talking to members of the public as part of Project Servator or 'unpredictable policing' when who should arrive on the scene, but the town's donkeys.

"Our Project Servator team members are trained to expect the unexpected and to spot any unusual activity when on deployments," said a spokesman.

"But while carrying out a vehicle check point in Scarborough this morning in support of the Armed Forces Day event, even they could not help but smile when four donkeys casually clip-clopped by with their keepers.

"It is Scarborough, after all. Anyway, they’re looking forward to the next episode of Braywatch tomorrow!"

York Press:

Police say Servator is a mix of "unpredictable and highly visible" deployments, plain clothes work, and work with businesses, community organisations and the public, and the scheme has since been adopted by other forces around the country.

Deployments can pop up anywhere, any time, in any weather, and include highly visible policing supported by a range of resources that can include CCTV, armed police officers, police dogs, automatic number plate recognition, mounted police, plain clothed officers and air support - including drones.