It looked like something straight out of Prison Break but there was no escape.
A Serco prison transport van involved in a collision near Marsh Mills was later seen in the Sainsbury’s car park, where armed police officers and prison transport staff carried out a prisoner transfer in full view of shoppers.
In dramatic scenes, prisoners were escorted from the damaged transport van into a replacement Serco vehicle before continuing their journey under police supervision. Armed officers remained at the scene throughout the operation, providing security while the transfer took place. Their firearms remained holstered.
The collision is understood to have happened on the approach to the Marsh Mills junction before both the prison van and the other vehicle moved into the nearby Sainsbury’s car park.
Photographs from the scene show armed officers standing by as Serco staff carefully transferred prisoners between the two secure vehicles. The unusual operation drew the attention of shoppers, with the sight of prison vans and armed police creating a striking scene.
There is no indication that any prisoners escaped or that there was any wider risk to the public. The transfer appeared to be a routine security measure following the collision, allowing the journey to continue safely in a replacement prison transport vehicle.
Photographs © Wayne Perry / Plymouth Post