Policeman Hurt In Hit-And-Run: Update
1 December 2011, 11:38 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50
Four people arrested after a policeman once nicknamed RoboCop for his work on a city estate was seriously injured in a hit-and-run in Nottingham have been bailed by police.
Pc Diederik Coetzee, 54, from Nottinghamshire Police, was struck by a car from behind as he cycled along Blidworth Lane in Nottingham last Friday.
The 54-year-old, who joined the force in June 2001, was off duty when the incident happened, at around 6pm. Police said he was wearing a high-visibility vest and had his bike lights turned on.
Three men, aged 25, 29 and 32, and a 36-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, failure to stop at the scene of a collision, and failure to report a crime.
All four have now been released on bail, pending further inquiries, a spokeswoman for Nottinghamshire Police said.
Forensic tests are continuing on a Volkswagen Corrado which was seized by officers and is believed to have been involved in the collision, she added.
Pc Coetzee remains in a critical but stable condition at King's Mill Hospital in Nottinghamshire.
The Mansfield South beat officer made headlines in 2005 after making hundreds of arrests in a year, patrolling the town's Ladywood estate on his bike.
Hundreds of Messages
Police have set up a special email address for people to send PC Coetzee messages of suppport, after getting hundreds of calls to their switchboard.
You can send messages to: fhqpro@nottinghamshire.pnn.police.uk
Along with a surge of goodwill from his colleagues in the Force, the switchboard at Headquarters at Arnold has received scores of calls from concerned members of the community.
Phone operator Martin Sharpe said:
"We have been inundated with calls from people wanting to pass on get well soon messages to Diederik. It is extremely heart-warming to hear them. He is obviously a very popular man and people are very worried about him."
People can also add well wishes to the Nottinghamshire Police's Facebook page.
