| IRV | |
|---|---|
|
| |
| Vehicle Type: |
IRV |
| Affiliation: |
Sun Hill Metropolitan Police |
| Call Sign(s): | |
| Use: |
General patrol |
| Currently In Use: |
Vauxhall Astra Mk5 Life |
Information[]
An Incident Response Vehicle, shortened as IRV, is a general patrol car used by the Metropolitan Police and in The Bill. They are used by people with the standard police license. In the past they have been previous generations of the Vauxhall Astra & the Ford Focus. They first appeared in 1991 as second generation Vauxhall Astras, later replaced by third generation models in 1993, used as alternatives to the Area Car or arrest vans for advanced drivers, and was also used by supervisors under the call signs SO3 or SO21. In 2000, there was just one Astra left, so the series also added a Ford Focus MK1 as an alternative. The Rover Metro then Ford Fiestas Panda Cars were primarily used by general officers until 2004 when the MK4 Astra IRV took over, using the call signs SO21-23. SO3 was reassigned to the Focus until 2006 when the Fiestas were finally phased out, the Focus becoming the only panda car under the call sign SO84. The MK4 Astras were then upgraded to Mk5 Astras, again SO21-23, in 2010 during the final months of the series.
IRVs Used in The Bill[]
- 1991-1993: Vauxhall Astra Mk2 (used primarily in the background but was occasionally used as the supervisor's car SO3)
- 1993-2003: Vauxhall Astra Mk3 (First appeared in Blood Counts)
- 2000-2004: Ford Focus Mk1 (first episode TBD, reverted to Panda Car in 2004)
- 2004-2010: Vauxhall Astra Mk4 (first appeared in Episode 194, last seen in The Truth Will Out)
- 2009-2010: Vauxhall Astra Mk5 Life (first appeared in Duty Calls, was used as background vehicle as early as Conviction)
Gallery[]
Damages[]
In Up In Smoke, Part 1 Sierra Oscar 2-1 (J178FGY) was shot at. The only damage was smashed windows, bullet holes and flattened tires. Both occupants, PCs Tony Stamp and Jim Carver, survived unhurt.
In Trouble on the Aldbourne Part 1, Sierra Oscar 3 (VU03VFL) was rammed upside down by a pickup truck so evidence could be stolen. The car suffered extensive damage and never returned to the road, so it was presumably scrapped. The driver Sergeant June Ackland, suffered minor injuries. Coincidentally, the car's successor was also involved in a crash (see below).
In Witness: Truth & Lies Sierra Oscar 3 (BU03ZZD) was rammed off the road and rolled onto its side. The suffered scratches on one side and a dent on the boot from it being forced open and a few broken windows. Due to episodes aired out of order, the car was seen on the road in Pay Back - it was later replaced by an Astra with the number plate RK03WFC. A passenger, the father of a witness, suffered a broken arm, but the driver Sergeant Dale Smith and the witness survived with minor cuts and bruises. Coincidentally this replaced the previous car which was destroyed in a crash (see above). Its successor was also damaged (see below).
In Conviction - Breaking Point Sierra Oscar 3 (RK03WFC) was smashed up by rioters. The car was never seen of again on the road, but it was probably because the IRV models changed a few weeks later.
In Protect & Serve Sierra Oscar 2-1 (LD59BYB) was shot at. The rear window suffered severe damage from the bullet piercing the center, but on the front there was an exit hole, however it quickly returned to the road. The passenger seat head was sliced by the bullet. Both occupants PCs Benjamin Gayle and Nate Roberts were physically unhurt, but PC Roberts was shaken by the incident.
In A Tangled Web the Vauxhall Astra mark 4 was shot at, one tire burst and one window was smashed