Mick Hartley

This story in the Times caught my eye:

A senior police officer has been nicknamed the Pied Piper after he accidentally started a nose-to-tail convoy of cars by inadvertently switching on a sign on top of his patrol car instructing those behind: “Follow Me.”

No fewer than five drivers had assumed that he must mean them before the inspector, who has not been named, realised what was happening.

Essex Police said that the officer was finally forced to pull up when he noticed the convoy of cars patiently following his every move at Great Totham, near Maldon, Essex. Some of them had, by then, been obediently shadowing the patrol car for several miles. […]

“He became aware that he had a number of cars following his every move and suddenly realised what he had done. He had to pull over and apologise to the other drivers for what had happened. Luckily they saw the funny side of it.”