The strong arm of the law! Donington bare knuckle fighter John Stephenson arrests Roy Chubby Brown impersonator using car from ITV show The Bill

You’ve heard of the long arm of the law… but what about the strong arm of the law?

Author and bare knuckle boxer John Stephenson found himself joining the boys in blue for his latest car pull stunt… cheered on by a star of hit TV show The Bill.

Donington resident John and pal Mark Vallint have been flexing their muscles pulling a number of famous vehicles which have appeared on screen, including The General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard, a truck from The Fast and The Furious franchise and a taxi used in the Deadpool movie, over the past few months.

But last week the pals were treated to a special trip back in time as they got the opportunity to show off their strength with two vehicles from iconic British telly shows.

John and Mark pulled a patrol car which was used in ITV’s The Bill and an ambulance which appeared on BBC’s Casualty.

“We had a blast, it was just unbelievable,” said John.

“To be so up close and personal with the car was incredible. I watched The Bill as a kid, it was just amazing.

“Pulling these cars and getting to see them, they’re amazing opportunities. Not everyone gets to do it, when you see them at comicons they’re always roped off.”

The vehicles are stored at a property owned by Wakefield resident Si Knight, who helped raise some laughs by dressing as foul-mouthed comedian Roy ‘Chubby’ Brown and letting the pretend coppers nick him.

“Si had us all laughing,” John added, who is no stranger to the off screen world of TV having previously pulled a car on the Brookside set.

“When he dressed up we arrested him for offensive behaviour and chased him in the Bill car, chucked him over the bonnet. It was great fun.”

Actor Graham Cole - who played PC Tony Stamp in more than 1,000 episodes of The Bill between 1984 and 2009 - had recently been reunited with the patrol car at an event where he met Mark, and invited him and John to his home to view his collection of memorabilia and props.

Having covered The Bill and Casualty, John and mark are now planning an emergency services TV treble with a proposed London’s Burning pull.