Frank went to Wood's home in Charlotte Street and said he was thinking of going to the police about the BMW. He wanted to know if Wood would go with him to verify what Frank had to say. Wood retorted that he had no intention of going anywhere near the police and suggested that it would be better to try and catch the BMW if it followed them again. It was finally decided that they would cruise the area that night and see if they were followed. If they were they would set about the people whoever they were and hand them over to the police afterwards.
Later in the day, Frank cleaned out the Marina to get rid of any traces of shotgun shells and anything else in case the car was used to ram another and so became the subject of a police examination. Frank left one dog at home at the request of his wife in case any strange callers came while he was out. He loaded the other dog into the car along with a pick-axe handle and left home at the same time as he had the previous evening, following the same route.
SL 11-1 17:55 Scott: Obs on 17 Warenton Place, New York. Marina HNL 270N parked in driveway.
SL11-2 18:00 Scott: Rent woman to house. Woman and 16 year old male answer door.
SL 11-3 l8:15 Casson: GUT 961N leaving estate, one occupant. Not our man.
SL 11-4 18:45 Casson: Blue van VTN 232Y parked outside target house. Driver to house opposite. No connection.
SL 11-5 18:55 Scott: Target in Marina and off towards North Shields. West towards Sabre.
Frank drove to the Percy Main roundabout and into the Ridges council estate, in this case the Bottom Ridges. He stopped there in Banbury Way, forcing the following Sierra to pass. It did so, then turned around and stopped at the side of the road where both cars' occupants could see each other.
SL 11-6 19:00 Howard: Vehicle stopped in Banbury Way.
Frank turned the Marina round and left the Bottom Ridges and crossed into the Top Ridges, another part of the same estate. The two parts are divided by a main road. The Sierra followed closely.
SL 11-7 19:03 Parkin: Off again.
Frank now knew that once again he was being followed. On this occasion he had every intention of doing something about it. He drove into West Percy Street where he saw a police Panda. He stopped behind the Panda, the driver of which was talking to a member of the public. (This may be recorded somewhere given that the time, date and place is well- documented. The police may well have a log of their vehicles' locations.) Frank got out of the Marina carrying a pick-axe handle and with the dog on a slip chain. The Sierra had also stopped. One man got out and walked along the street and passed Frank who in his turn walked and stood in front of the Sierra where he made a note of its registration number. The man who had got out of the Sierra was now out of sight around a corner towards the town centre. Frank then hurried back to the Marina and drove off before the man could return to the Sierra. This gave the Sierra driver the choice of following Frank or waiting to pick up his passenger. The Sierra followed Frank, meaning that Frank had split the opposition forces, whoever they were.
SL 11-8 l9:05 West: Temporary loss Charlotte St. On foot.
Frank drove directly to the rear of Wood's home and went to the flat to call him to the car.
SL 11-9 19:08 West: Vehicle parked behind Ladbrokes, North Shields.
Frank and Wood got into the Marina. Frank informed Wood that he was again being followed, this time by a light-coloured Sierra, the number of which he had already noted. Frank and Wood decided to cruise around the streets for a while until they spotted the Sierra and managed to get it into a position where it could be ambushed. Frank set off towards the town centre.
SL12-10 19:12 West: Off. off with 2 men and a dog in car, towards town centre.
SL12-11 19:13 Howard: Turned round back toward town centre, travelling towards Tyne Tunnel.
Frank quickly spotted the Sierra and got onto its tail. He followed it through the town centre, blowing his car horn and flashing his headlights. The Sierra refused to stop. In fact it accelerated, as did Frank until it had developed into a high-speed car chase through the centre of town above 80 mph. Frank was now almost sure that it was not the police in the Sierra because, he reasoned, the police would have stopped and arrested him for careless or reckless driving. The chase led onto the bottom road that passes the Tyne Tunnel entrance, through High Howden and into Wallsend, until Frank finally brought the car chase to an end by going round a traffic island against the traffic and screeching to a halt in front of the Sierra.
SL12-12 19:15 Coates: He's right behind me, travelling towards Wallsend. He'll not pass me. Doing 80 mph. Took island wrong side of road. Trying to get in front of me.
Wood leapt from the Marina brandishing a pick-axe handle with which to attack the Sierra. The Sierra simply reversed back round the traffic island and sped off. By the time Frank had got the Marina turned round, upsetting one or two other road users in the process, the Sierra had gone and Frank knew that the Marina was not fast enough to catch it.
SL12-13 19:23 Coates: Stand down.
Frank was now almost certain that it had not been the police because police officers would simply have arrested and charged him with any of a large number of offences, among others:
  • dangerous driving
  • threatening behaviour
  • possessing an offensive weapon
Instead, Frank was never questioned about the affair, let alone arrested for it.