Essex driver who failed to stop is banned after an object from his car smashed a police windscreen

Glenn Lillie, 34, of Braintree, Essex, was driving on the A120 near Little Canfield when a large unsecured item detached from the roof of his white Audi and he failed to stop, later telling police he had judged it unsafe to pull over. The object crossed the central barrier at speed, striking the windscreen of an oncoming patrol car and showering both officers inside with shattered glass.

Essex Police used camera footage and forensic analysis of debris at the scene to trace the white Audi back to Lillie's home address.

PC Simon Bailey said the crash could have proved 'devastating' without the 'skill, professionalism and composure' of the officer who brought the car to a controlled stop.

Road Safety Manager Caitlin Taylor of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents warned that unsecured loads put all road users at risk of 'injury or even death'.