Police chase in Blackheath as off-duty police officer dashes along a river to catch armed criminal

Officers were on routine patrol in Blackheath, south east London, when their attention was drawn to a grey Mercedes driven by Clive Tebu, 31.

They signalled for him to pull over and he led them on a pursuit through residential areas, weaving in and out of traffic and swerving around traffic islands.

He narrowly missing an oncoming motorcyclist, reaching speeds of more than 77mph in a 20mph zone.

In a desperate bid to get away, he rammed a member of the public’s vehicle before mounting a pavement, narrowly missing pedestrians.

When he realised he was blocked in, he leapt from the car and began fleeing on foot.

One of the officers gave chase and saw Tebu climb over a wall and jump into the River Quaggy on the other side.

The officer followed, wading into the water wearing full kit.

As Tebu tried to get away, the on-duty officer was assisted by an off-duty officer who had seen the chase and stepped in to assist.

The off-duty officer – who is normally attached to the emergency response team – raced through the water, at full speed, before apprehending Tebu and holding him.

Tebu was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and failing to stop, after the incident on April 19 this year.

During the pursuit, he had been seen to throw items from the car, police said.

When officers went back to recover the items they found a loaded 9mm handgun, ammunition and a large sum of money.

Further searches of property linked to Tebu also found £75,000 in cash.

He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, driving without insurance, possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm while prohibited.

He also pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition and possession of ammunition while prohibited, on May 19, at Woolwich Crown Court .

Tebu, from Bexley, was jailed for five years and 10 months at the same court yesterday (19).

He was also disqualified from driving for 59 months.

Detective constable Rachael Nelhams, of the specialist crime command at the Met, said: “Thanks to the professionalism and diligence of these officers, another viable firearm has been taken off the streets. This will inevitably have saved lives and prevented unknown victims suffering serious injuries or worse.

“The police drivers involved in this incident showed a high level of skill in safely following Tebu as he drove in an extremely dangerous manner. The officer who pursued him over a wall and into the river showed impressive determination and commitment.

“I would also like to praise the off duty officer who saw a colleague in need of help and jumped in – quite literally – to provide vital support. His selfless actions were brave and showed the best qualities of policing.

“Without his intervention it is possible that Tebu, who was not weighed down in the water in the way the fully-kitted officer was, might have got away.”