'We want to show police officers are normal'

We are human beings as well as police officers and that is what we wanted to get across, a police officer has said about his force's appearance in a TV documentary.

Staffordshire Police's road crime team is the focus of the current series of Motorway Cops: Catching Britain's Speeders on Channel 5.

Officers work to help the community and make people safe, but they also have a laugh and a joke in the office, and make a cup of tea in the morning, just like in other workplaces, said Insp Chris Moss.

"This is showing that we are just the same as the rest of the people who are going about their daily lives, really."

The tenth series of Motorway Cops follows the Staffordshire road crime team as they police the county's roads, including the M6 and A500.

"Some of the stuff we deal with is difficult and dangerous, but those are the bits that if we don't do, society and members of the public would suffer," said Moss.

But officers also like to have fun, deal with some low-level and humorous incidents and get on with most of the people they deal with, stated the inspector.

"The job is really enjoyable, that will come across in the show... it does bring across that human element, as well as the bits where we chase bad guys."

Having cameras film "pretty much everything that happened during a day" was interesting, but not distracting, said the officer.

That was because the TV crews were experienced in working with other police forces and knowing when to remain in the background and when to ask questions.

The force also had the opportunity to review the footage during the edit.

"If people have got injuries and stuff from being involved in a collision you wouldn't want that on TV necessarily," said Moss.

And the prospect of seeing himself on TV made him more nervous than excited, he added.

"I'll probably get a bit of grief of friends and family for it, but that's part of the job sometimes!"

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