Farewell to ‘TV Tim’: South Yorkshire’s Legendary Traffic Cop Retires
South Yorkshire Police are saying a sad goodbye to PC Tim Scothern, famously known as ‘TV Tim’ from the hit Traffic Cops documentary. Between 2002 and 2012, Tim became a household name after starring on the show, catching some of the region’s most wanted criminals.
Three Decades of Catching Crooks
Tim joined South Yorkshire Police in 1992 as a fresh-faced probationary officer. After training, he served on the response team at Dinnington Station in Rotherham before moving to the Operational Support Unit (OSU) as a traffic officer.
It was in OSU that Tim truly shone, making roads safer and nabbing offenders who used the roads to commit crimes. His skills were so sharp, they landed him starring roles on BBC1’s Traffic Cops and Channel 5’s Interceptors.
Tributes Pour In from Colleagues
“Tim has been an icon to roads policing for decades and will be a sad loss to the team,” said OSU Roads Policing Inspector Craig Clifton. “Even in his final days, he was hands-on with pursuits and provided brilliant intelligence support. Just weeks ago, fans came out asking for Tim’s autograph while he was working on a stolen car. We all wish him the best in retirement.”
Superintendent Lydia Lynskey added: “Tim’s enthusiasm never faded. Right up to retirement, he’s worked tirelessly to bring offenders to justice and disrupt organised crime locally and regionally. I thank him for his 30 years of outstanding service and wish him great success going forward.”
PC Angela Selous, Tim’s close colleague for 15 years, shared: “Tim has been one of my best friends in the job. He had a knack for catching the bad guys – and was always up for a chat, even when we argued! He’s the kind of bloke you want on your side. The only thing he couldn’t find was a pen when it counted!”
A Legend Moves On
Tim’s supervisor, DS Gareth Bryant, reflected on the honour of managing a hero: “Growing up watching Tim on Traffic Cops inspired me to join the police. Supervising him these past 18 months has been an absolute pleasure. Even with retirement looming, he never slowed down, showing unwavering dedication to keeping South Yorkshire’s roads safe.”
Tim retires on 5 May 2022 and plans to dive into the motorsport industry post-police life.
We salute Tim Scothern’s phenomenal career and wish him all the best in his new adventures. South Yorkshire won’t be the same without its beloved ‘TV Tim’.
