Tune in to Police Interceptors and watch police tackle alleged gun-wielding robbery suspects in Dispatch district

The incident will be featured on Police Interceptors tonight

Nottinghamshire Police received a report that a man had been threatened with a gun in Station Road, Bulwell and had his Apple Airpods stolen along with a gold chain which had been ripped from around his neck.

Firearms officers were instantly dispatched and spotted two men that matched the description of the offenders on a footbridge near to Deptford Crescent.

Utilising officers back at base, the suspects' location was pi-pointed to a yard behind a cafe and more officers began closing in on the pair.

Firearms constable Paul Charlesworth was one of the first to arrive. He exited his vehicle whilst another officer had instructed the two men to lie down on the ground. He noticed that one of the suspects was not fully complying and looked as though he was getting ready to run.

He approached the men cautiously and told them to keep both hands where he could see them but the resisting man did not listen and tried to get up. He was quickly restrained by another officer and arrested by PC Charlesworth before the second suspect was also handcuffed.

PC Charlesworth said: "You have to be prepared for anything when you face suspects who are allegedly armed with a gun. This was a situation where one of the men didn't seem to be complying so in the back of your mind, you're wondering if they're going to pull it on you at any second. It's a tense stand-off and you're watching their every move.

"This is something we receive extensive training for and if you're forced into that situation then you know how to do it carefully and quickly to prevent as much harm as possible."

A small amount of cannabis was discovered on one of them men along with the Apple Airpods but no weapons were found on either of them. However, a knife was recovered after CCTV revealed one of the men throwing an object onto a stationary fork-lift truck.

Following the arrests on 10 September 2020, a 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty to robbery, possession of a bladed article and possession of cannabis. He was sentenced at Nottingham Youth Court on December 2 2020 where he was given an 11-month referral order as well as being ordered to pay £200 compensation.

"You can never understand why offenders are willing to cause this amount of disruption and upset when they're quite clearly not going to gain anything," PC Charlesworth added.

"They literally tear up the streets, can cause great physical and mental harm to their victims and also cause distress to residents and passersby who witness it, but they are never going to get away with it because we are on to their every move.

"I hope other youngsters who are perhaps veering off-the-rails see this and realise it's no life for anyone."

The full incident can be viewed on Police Interceptors tonight. Also on tonight's dramatic police programme, a runaway driver succumbs to Nottinghamshire's stinger after failing to stop for colleagues at Lincolnshire Police and a man comes face-to-face with police dog Rambo having fled on-foot after a car was pulled over following some dodgy driving.

Catch all of this and more on Channel 5 at 8pm.