Warwickshire Police's use of blue lights and sirens to speed up non-emergency callouts has been put on hold days after the new protocol was announced.

The force put out news of officers being granted scope to use blue lights to get through traffic or backed-up junctions when tasked with attending higher-priority but not top-category cases. 

An example of how it would work in practice was also shared on social media, highlighting how police vehicles may navigate junctions with lights and sirens but without speeding and then going on to drive as any other vehicle would be permitted to once past any tailbacks. 

However, all output on the matter has since disappeared from Warwickshire Police's online channels with a statement issued to the Local Democracy Reporting Service confirming the rollout had been "paused pending consideration of feedback". 

It made clear that blue lights and sirens would continue to be used for emergencies but added: "Earlier this week we shared with the public a proposal to use blue lights and sirens momentarily when stuck in heavy traffic or experiencing delays when responding to the next level to an emergency – 'priority 2' calls.

"This has been paused pending consideration of feedback and we will share an update with residents when one is available.

"Whilst this proposal is under consideration the content on our social channels has been paused."

That came just a day after a councillor on Warwickshire's Police & Crime Panel – the body of elected officials and independent members who oversee the work of the county's Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe - suggested he had already seen the new scope put into action.

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Warwickshire County Councillor Keith Kondakor said: "They're doing a lot of running on blue lights for non-emergencies, which I have really noticed myself as they tear along through Rugby or Bedworth and then turn them off.

"There have been communications telling the public about it but I don't know if that's something we could be told a bit more about as a panel.

"I am most concerned about accidents and people moving out of the way thinking there is an emergency. It is quite a change, particularly coming out of Bedworth which is a quite dangerous bit of road, the Coventry Road.

"The blue lights suddenly go off and (then) they just pootle along. It is something I have really noticed and I was very curious about whether the policy and how it works has been discussed with the PCC."

Mr Seccombe, who is elected to have political oversight of the police's work and priorities without the ability to directly influence individual operational decisions, replied: "I haven't discussed that particular topic but I always encourage the chief constable to stick to the national guidelines, procedures and rules.

"I am not aware there has been any change over the past few years. Plainly we want officers at the scenes of crime as soon as possible, that is the rationale behind blue lights and sirens but it has to be done proportionately bearing in mind other road users.

"A lot of training goes into drivers who use blue lights. It is a very important part of policing but it can impact badly on other road users or communities. We can ask the question on that at our weekly meeting next week."