Eye spy: police called as suspicious pole is erected at Chelmsford

A day after a suspicious trackside pole was spotted during a jumps fixture at Leicester, in-running punters appeared to switch their attention to the Flat on Thursday evening at Chelmsford, where police were called to deal with a similar incident.

Officials acted when a specially converted transit van with telescopic boom parked up on racecourse property close to the home straight at the Essex track shortly before the first race at 5.00.

They confronted the operator, who was accompanied by his son, before the police came and shut down his operation prior to the second race.

A spokesman for Chelmsford City racecourse said: "We spotted this van with a massive boom on a road adjacent to the home straight, which is land that belongs to the racecourse, and we decided to investigate.

"We confronted the individual and told him he was trespassing. He didn't believe us and stupidly he rang the police himself to confirm this. When they came the man was told to leave and the police escorted him up the A131."

As to what equipment the in-running punter was using, the spokesman added: "It was very sophisticated. The boom was massive, about 30ft, and it had a camera on the top which was filming the racing. The pole was so big it had to have outriggers on the side of the van to stop it blowing over in the wind. Inside the van they had a screen and a couple of computers."

Betfred-owned Chelmsford takes a dim view of such practices and has had issues with such individuals for many years.

Past incidents include people standing on top of vehicles in a lay-by of the bordering A131 to get a closer look at the finishing straight as well as hiding themselves away in car parks on the infield of the track.

On Wednesday, a tall pole which appeared to have a camera attached to it was seen in the garden of a property close to the turn into the back straight at Leicester. The pole was taken down five minutes after the last race.

The runners in the last at Leicester pass the pole in questionCredit: Edward Whitaker

The Chelmsford spokesman added: "We think it's the same van that was at Leicester, where he must have rented a driveway from someone as the outriggers would have been too big to park on a public highway. These in-running gangs are known to be big business in Hull and we believe there are others in operation in London, Hertfordshire and Wales."

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