A retired police bike is back on duty for a different emergency service.
The 1200cc BMW, formerly used by West Yorkshire Police, has been donated to Huddersfield-based Whiteknights EVS charity.
‘Bobby’ will be used to deliver blood, samples and medication to NHS hospitals for out-of-hours emergencies.
Whiteknights EVS provides its services free and is staffed entirely by volunteers.
Its services enable the NHS to save thousands of pounds which would otherwise be spent on emergency deliveries.
Bobby was presented to the charity on Friday by Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson and acting West Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Dee Collins.
The donation increases Whiteknights’ fleet to six bikes which serve North and West Yorkshire with plans to expand into South Yorkshire.
The charity has dealt with 2,000 calls this year – and it expects to receive 3,000 next year saving the NHS an estimated £100,000 since it was founded in 2008.
Mr Burns-Williamson said: “I am delighted to be supporting this charity who are making a real difference with the invaluable service they provide to the NHS, the people of West Yorkshire and the wider region.
“I would like to thank their volunteers, from the riders who have to brave the elements on cold dark nights to the support fellow volunteers taking calls from hospitals, running the charity and maintaining the bikes.
“It’s also pleasing to know that the bike, which has spent its life up to this point helping to protect our communities, will continue to do so in its later life.”
Whiteknights chairman Terry Dutchburn said: “The donation of a bike from West Yorkshire Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner has given a massive boost to Whiteknights.
“Every penny that we raise through fundraising goes into delivering the service, so this will allow those funds to go into running the service and not used on buying bikes.
“Bobby, as the bike has been called, will be going into service in West Yorkshire and will allow one of our other bikes to move to either North or South Yorkshire so we can carry on expanding the service to more of the NHS across Yorkshire.”
