Special Escort Group (Metropolitan Police)


The Special Escort Group is a Specialist Operations unit within London's Metropolitan Police Service. Formed in 1952, the SEG provides protection and escort services to key public figures travelling around London.

Role

The unit's purpose is to provide armed motorcycle escorts for members of the royal family, protected members of the Government, visiting royals, heads of state and other visiting dignitaries. It also provides armed vehicle escorts for valuable, hazardous and protected loads and high risk prisoners.
This specialist unit of the Metropolitan Police consists of officers with a range of skills and operational experience from various policing backgrounds. One motorcyclist positions themselves in front of the escort, controlling the precise pace, position, speed and timing of the escort, whilst the others forge ahead, dealing with traffic situations and advising the lead bike of the safest path through the traffic they are controlling. SEG officers use whistles rather than sirens. This reduces the level of noise that precedes an escort and softens the environmental impact on the escorted person and general public.

Equipment

Officers from the Special Escort Group are among the few police motorcyclists in the UK that carry firearms openly whilst riding. All SEG officers are Advanced Drivers, Advanced Motorcyclists and are fully trained in anti-hijack driving and firearms tactics. The SEG uses a wide range of other vehicles aside from motorcycles, such as Range Rovers, or the BMW 5 Series, both marked and unmarked.
The motorcycle officers of the SEG carry Austrian Glock 17s. If authorisation is gained, all are qualified to use the German Heckler & Koch MP5, and since May 2012, the Heckler & Koch G36, making each member an Authorised Firearms Officer.

List of Motorcycles

The following is a list of the motorcycles used by the special escort group:
MakeModelIntroduced
TriumphSpeed Twin 5T1952
TriumphThunderbird 6T1959
TriumphTR6 Trophy1967
BMWR80/71980
BMWK1001990
BMWR1100 & R1150RS1997
HondaVFR12002012
BMWR12002018