Chase ends in loft on Beaconsfield Road
Cheshire Police bodycam footage released this month shows officers locating a Runcorn man hiding in a loft hatch after pursuing him on suspicion of riding an uninsured e‑scooter in February last year. The man, identified in court papers as 41‑year‑old Charles Foy, was found beneath pieces of insulation in a property that appeared unoccupied on Beaconsfield Road.
Officers had first spotted the rider with two dogs running alongside the e‑scooter and smelled cannabis, according to the footage. When asked to stop, the rider failed to cooperate and attempted to evade police by taking narrow alleyways and cul‑de‑sacs.
Dog leads officers to address
During the pursuit one of the dogs, a labrador, could not keep up and fell behind. An officer left his vehicle to follow the distressed animal to the address on Beaconsfield Road. The second dog was later seen at a ground‑floor window, which prompted officers to try to contact anyone at the property.
After attempts to rouse the occupants, officers entered the premises and carried out a search. A short time later they discovered an open loft hatch. One officer can be heard on the footage expressing reluctance to climb into the loft, citing a risk of falling through the ceiling.
When officers located the man hidden under the insulation they ordered him to come down. He responded with a remark that has been captured on the bodycam and shown in the released footage.
"Calm the f*** down. I've been trying to get some sleep."
Man denies riding the scooter
In the following interview, the man said he had slept in the loft because the property was overcrowded and denied being out on the e‑scooter that night. He also told officers he was unaware that police vehicles were fitted with sirens.
The case was heard at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 7 August, according to court records made public alongside the footage.
- Incident: Police pursuit of an e‑scooter in Runcorn (February, previous year)
- Subject: 41‑year‑old man found hiding in a loft on Beaconsfield Road
- Outcome: Subject located and interviewed; appeared at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 7 August
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Age | 41 |
| Location | Beaconsfield Road, Runcorn |
| Court | Warrington Magistrates' Court — 7 August |
This footage sheds light on how a domestic animal became central to resolving a public‑order situation. Officers followed the labrador to an apparently empty house rather than continuing a high‑speed pursuit through residential streets, a decision that likely reduced risk to bystanders. The encounter illustrates two recurring issues in local policing: the challenges of enforcing the law around e‑scooter use and the practical difficulties officers face when suspects attempt to evade arrest.
For Runcorn residents, the sequence underscores that e‑scooters remain a contentious road‑safety matter. Under current law, privately owned e‑scooters are not permitted on public roads unless part of authorised hire schemes because they cannot be insured to the standards required of motor vehicles. Encounters like this one prompt questions about how to tackle illegal use safely without escalating danger to the public or officers.
The man’s claim of sleeping in an overcrowded property also raises concerns about housing conditions and their knock‑on effects for policing and community wellbeing. Officers entering premises to follow up on an animal complaint is not unusual, but finding a person hiding in loft space is a reminder of the varied situations frontline officers confront in town.
Cheshire Police released the bodycam material as part of their policing transparency. It provides a rare, unvarnished look at a short but complex incident: a pursuit, a worried dog, a search of an empty house, and a man who, when found, asked officers to calm down because he had been trying to sleep.
