....where some off duty policemen were taking a break. Hearing the shots they emerged from the Police Station, some in a state of partial undress as they had been sleeping in the section house. Among them was PC Tyler, who in his haste forgot his helmet.

Hefeld and Jacob ran past Mrs Cawley, a lady selecting vegetables from a greengrocer's cart. She screamed "Murder! Stop those two men!" and lobbed a potato at them. One of the men pointed his gun at her but fired no shots. The criminals turned left into Chesnut Grove and ran on into Scales Road.

The chase then began in earnest. Sub Divisional Police Inspector Large pursued the men on horseback; Joseph Wilson, having recovered, started the car and drove after them together with Mr Schnurmann, his manager Paul Casewitz, Albert Keyworth, and PC Newman who was crouched on the running board. PC Tyler ran alongside holding the car's left hand door. A small crowd of men and boys joined the chase, including factory employee Charles Allison and 17 year old Frederick Perry, the son of the photographer at 6 Chesnut Road.

When the car entered Mitchley Road, shots were fired at it. One grazed Wilson's neck and another hit the radiator, causing a leak of water which caused the car to stop.