The sister of a grandmother who reportedly broke her pelvis when one of the royal family’s armed motorbike police escorts crashed into her, said today the pensioner could have been killed as she blasted Royal protection outriders for driving too fast.
Speaking as the 83-year-old Irene Mayor remains in a critical condition in hospital, Joyce Shore said: ‘The police outriders have to slow down.
‘My sister is lying in a hospital bed and she could have been killed. She could so easily have been killed.’
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are said to be hoping to visit Mrs Mayor, who reportedly broke her pelvis when a member of the Special Escort Group of motorbike protection officers crashed into her while allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road.
Irene Mayor suffered ‘lots’ of other injuries yesterday following a crash involving Prince William’s security convoy, leaving her in a serious condition.
Local residents described how an air ambulance arrived quickly but hovered overhead as paramedics took upwards of half an hour to arrive at the scene of the crash.
One eyewitness described seeing Mrs Mayor ‘clipped’ by the outrider’s wing mirror as he drove along the wrong side of the road, she said.
She said: ‘The outrider was not going fast but the lady stepped out and was clipped by the bike’s wingmirror. She went spinning to the ground and was left with a severe cut to the back of her head. I didn’t know she had broken her pelvis.
Pictures of the aftermath show a white police motorcycle on its side on the wrong side of the road at a pedestrian crossing where Irene was heading for her home in East Sheen.
Six doctors and paramedics gathered around Mrs Mayor to treat her injuries before she was taken to hospital after the crash
This is the police outrider’s bike lying on its side after striking Irene Mayor, 83, while clearing traffic for Prince William and Kate’s convoy
The incident took place as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were heading from London to Windsor. It is believed to have involved one of their police motorcycle outriders
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge travel in a Range Rover escorted by police motorcycle outriders and royalty protection officers
Pictured: William and Kate at Windsor Castle yesterday after their convoy hit an 83-year-old grandmother, leaving her seriously injured
SEG: The highly-trained heavily-armed motorbike police who clear the way
A Met source told MailOnline that the all-white bikes are part of the SEG, or Special Escort Group, whose job is to facilitate the royals’ progress through traffic.
The specially-trained protection officers on the powerful bikes are some of the only British police to drive armed, but are not part of the Close Protection team who accompany the royals at all times.
SEG police block junctions and provide an escort for the royal’s own cars, which are driven either by their security team or often by the royals themselves.
Armed police of the Special Escort Group drive powerful white motorbikes with registration plates ending SEG
A four- or six-person team from the SEG, whose bikes’ registration plates all end in those letters (see above) drive in convoy to provide a secure bubble in which the royals can travel.
The officers, from the Metropolitan Police Service, accompany the royals alongside their Close Protection team wherever they go in the UK.
All SEG officers have anti-hijacking training and advanced motoring skills and carry a Glock 17 semi-automatic pistol.
The goal of the SEG outriders is to enable a Royal or VIP convoy to keep moving, in order to avoid presenting a stationary target to would-be attackers, and simultaneously to cause minimal disruption or safety hazard to the public.
One outrider stays directly ahead of the lead vehicle at all times while the other riders constantly leapfrog ahead to control the traffic and clear a path for the convoy. This might explain reports that the driver involved in this crash was on the wrong side of the road.
The protection convoy travels with blue lights flashing but do not ordinarily drive with their sirens on.
The counter-terrorism expert said: ‘It’s a difficult job to be honest because you’ve got to be looking in all directions at once and blocking junctions so if someone steps out that can be difficult.’
Both the Metropolitan Police and the Royal Family refused to comment on royal protection procedures.
Kate and William did not see the crash, royal sources have said, and they were swept through Richmond because it is standard police procedure for any royal convoy to drive on even in the event of an accident.
The accident will be investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct and Scotland Yard said last night that Irene was taken to hospital in a critical condition.
Mrs Mayor is a widow having lost her husband Walter and dedicated herself to charity work through her local church, where she is still a regular in the congregation.
Her daughter, Fiona, who lives with her mother just 300 yards from the scene in west London said: ‘She’s got lots of injuries. They are just keeping her stable at the moment.’
Mrs Mayor’s sister Joyce Shore, who was not at the scene, said today that police outriders should slow down.
She added: ‘I do like the royals, but the way my sister’s life has been endangered is completely unacceptable. These outriders need to slow down.
‘But it will still go on. I doubt anything will change just because a lady speaks out over concern for her sister.’
Joyce, 86, from Woking, in Surrey, said her sister was still active and did her own shopping, despite living with her daughter Fiona.
She said that Irene is an active member of her local non-conformist church. She said the family are very close and that Irene was due to visit her and her husband Stanley for lunch today.
A spokesman for the royal couple told the Mail they were ‘deeply concerned and saddened’ and had been in touch with the victim’s family. Flowers have been sent.
William and Kate have also said they would like to visit Mrs Mayor if she feels ready.
Irene’s friend from church, Lionel Blackburn, 78, said: ‘She’s an incredibly nice person. I have known her for over 40 years.
She used to do a lot of voluntary work for the church and her husband Walter used to lead the evening service.
‘We were all devastated when we heard she had been hit by the police bike. Irene is always smiling and cheerful, hopefully she’ll be back at church soon.’
The Independent Office for Police Conduct said the 83-year-old victim was taken to a London hospital where she is in a serious but stable condition.
‘In line with procedure, the Metropolitan Police Service referred the collision to the IOPC,’ it said in a statement.
‘Our staff attended the scene of the incident and after careful consideration, we have launched an independent investigation. The investigation is in its very early stages and the officer involved is assisting our enquiries as a witness.’
The Duke of Cambridge leaves St George’s Chapel, in Windsor Castle, after attending the annual Order of the Garter Service
The incident occurred on Upper Richmond Road, south-west London, at 12.50pm on Monday.
One eyewitness who ran into Upper Richmond Road to help Irene told MailOnline that despite the 83-year-old’s injuries she kept saying ‘I’m fine – I’m not hurt’ and trying to sit up.
The pedestrian, who helped care for Mrs Mayor as she lay injured in the road, said: ‘The air ambulance couldn’t land anywhere near us so had to fly to Richmond Park. Police then had to give the paramedics an escort for the remaining ten minutes by road. I was quite shocked by how long it took’.
Irene had been ‘clipped’ by the outrider’s wing mirror as he drove along the wrong side of the road, she said.
She said: ‘The outrider was not going fast but the lady stepped out and was clipped by the bike’s wing mirror. She went spinning to the ground and was left with a severe cut to the back of her head. I didn’t know she had broken her pelvis.
‘Irene was awake the whole time. She was a really strong woman. She was bleeding from the back of her head but kept saying: “I’m fine. I’m not hurt. Let me get up”.
‘Her daughter was with her and became so distressed she accidentally pushed the motorcycle that hit her mother on to the floor. That’s why it is lying on the ground’.
She added: ‘I feel really sorry for the police motorcyclist. He was grey and in complete shock but waited with her while waited for the doctors’.
Local resident Mahmoud Mazee, 76, said: ‘I heard a commotion outside so I looked out of the window and saw there was an elderly lady lying in the middle of the road. She was surrounded by people including a couple of police motorcyclists.
‘Some of my neighbours had come out with towels and blankets to keep her warm.
‘People were kneeling down and talking to her so I think she was still conscious but she couldn’t appear to move any of her lower body.’
He said emergency services seemed to take a long time to reach the stricken pensioner.
‘I must have been watching for 25 minutes to half an hour. The air ambulance was called and was in the air hovering above the scene when a land ambulance arrived and took her away to hospital. It must have taken about 40 minutes in total.’
He added: ‘The police motorcyclist was riding the wrong way down the road when he hit her I believe. His motorcycle was lying on the road facing the traffic coming in the other direction.
‘I don’t know what he was doing, I imagine he was trying to warn motorists to stop or slow down as the Royal motorcade was passing through.
‘One of the officers at the scene said he was really upset that he had hit the woman and had ‘gone away to nurse himself’ so he may have been slightly injured too.
‘There was a big police presence here until well into early evening. There were some officers who were really smartly dressed, like city gents, investigating alongside uniformed officers. They were taking pictures of the collision scene.’
Fred Patel, who runs the Moulton News shop near the crossing where the accident happened, said ‘regular customer’ Irene might have been on her way to see him when she was knocked down.
‘She comes here most days to get a paper and pick up some milk and other grocery items. In fact we think she may have been coming here on the day she was hit by the police motorcycle because it’s usually around 1pm that we see her.
‘Hopefully when she’s a bit better, my wife and I will go and see her and wish her a speedy recovery.’
When members of the Royal Family use public roads they normally use an official car – in this case most probably a Land Rover Discovery – preceded by another Land Rover with armed police
A witness told The Sun: ‘His bike hit her and she spun round, off her feet and fell badly on the floor. The officer was devastated. But he was going on the wrong side of the road. It could have been so much worse’.
William and Kate were travelling to join the Queen for an Order of the Garter ceremony. When members of the Royal Family use public roads they normally use an official car – in this case most probably a Land Rover Discovery – preceded by another Land Rover with armed police.
Witnesses say the 83-year-old was run down by a police motorbike leading William and his wife Kate’s Range Rover as they were leaving London to take part in an Order of the Garter Service at Windsor Castle on Monday.
The two cars have motorbike outriders to the front and the back, for security reasons and as a means of clearing a path.
It is believed that the incident involved one of the advance party of riders who were designated to hold back the traffic.
It is not yet confirmed whether Mrs Mayor was struck, or whether she fell. This is something the watchdog will investigate. The duke and duchess did not see the accident and, in line with security procedures, the convoy kept driving.
The couple continued with the engagement but were informed about what had happened as soon as possible and immediately set about contacting Mrs Mayor’s family.
A member of the Duke and Duchess’ team from Kensington Palace has also been to see family members to express their concern. Pictured, an ambulance moments after the collision
It is the fourth road accident involving a member of the Royal Family in seven months. Pictured, is the crossing where Irene was hit
The fact that the IOPC has started an investigation does not mean the police officer involved has done anything wrong.
The body is responsible for investigating incidents involving officers and staff which result in a death or serious injury.
Its work is done independently of the police, government and any interest groups. The Mail understands William had been keen to visit the victim yesterday but felt that it could be too intrusive, and instead both he and Kate sent flowers, after initially making contact via a family liaison officer. A member of their team from Kensington Palace has also been to see family members to express their concern.
The couple have asked to be kept informed of Mrs Mayor’s condition and the family have said they will stay in touch. Police sources said that any officers involved in an IOPC investigation would be prevented from getting in touch with anyone who had come to harm.
A Kensington palace spokesman said: ‘The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were deeply concerned and saddened to hear about the accident on Monday afternoon.
‘Their Royal Highnesses have sent their very best wishes to Irene and her family and will stay in touch throughout every stage of her recovery.’
It is the fourth road accident involving a member of the Royal Family in seven months. The Duke of Edinburgh’s smash at Sandringham earlier this year resulted him giving up his driving licence at the age of 97.
In March it emerged that a receptionist from Birmingham was locked in a legal fight over a repair bill for her Peugeot 107 after her car was hit by a police driver chauffeuring a royal, believed to be the Countess of Wessex, last November.
Last week it emerged that the Queen’s cousin, the Duke of Kent, could face a police investigation following claims that the 83-year-old allegedly pulled out in front of another driver, causing her to crash her car.