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A bit of context:
Yesterday I was near Oxford Street, London, near to a T junction that has traffic lights. A few police officers on motorbikes, using whistles (not sirens), stopped oncoming traffic and allowed two Range Rovers through even though the traffic lights were red.
Therefore, what circumstances are police able to use there powers to stop traffic for a convoy?
The power stop the traffic is at s.163 of the Road Traffic Act 1988:
(1) A person driving a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road must stop the vehicle on being required to do so by a constable in uniform or a traffic officer.
(These riders were probably from the Metropolitan Police Special Escort Group)
A police officer in uniform is entitled to issue directions to road users at all times. Those directions override signage and laws relating to things like traffic lights.
There are probably police rules about when they are supposed to do so (and breaking those rules would render them liable to disciplinary action), but as far as the law is concerned "whenever they feel like it".
