This is the moment a suspected violent thug hails a police car like a taxi... and then gets driven home.

Pcs Ian Johnson and Gareth Hughes were supposed to be on a manhunt for fugitive Anthony Blackeley and were staking out the pub where they believed he had been laying low.

But instead of collaring him... he was offered a chauffeur service back to his home.

Street CCTV footage from outside The Queen Adelaide, in Hyde, shows the moment Blackeley leaves the premises and sticks his hand in the air.

He then gets into the passenger seat and Pc Johnson drove away, taking him to his Hattersley home.

Two policemen have today been sacked after a violent suspect was driven home by an officer from a pub instead of being arrested.

Pc Ian Johnson had been cleared of misconduct in public office by a jury at Manchester Crown Court last year.

But he, and colleague Pc Gareth Lynch, have been dismissed without notice after appearing before a GMP misconduct panel.

During the hearing Pc Johnson was described as ‘callous and arrogant’ and it was revealed a in a message from his phone he said he ‘Couldn’t be a***d going to the funeral of Pc Fiona Bone, murdered by Dale Cregan.

Pc Johnson had claimed he was too frightened of Blackeley to apprehend him. He had previously sent a false message over his radio claiming he and colleague Pc Lynch had searched the pub but had been unable to find him.

A GMP misconduct panel is decided both officers breached standards of professional behaviour - which Pc Lynch had denied.

At the hearing Pc Lynch’s solicitor Mark Aldred described the two men as ‘the bully and the bullied’.

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He said Pc Lynch and his partner had been the victim of bullying on the shift at Hyde and Pc Johnson was one of the ‘ringleaders’. Pc Lynch was ‘ostracised’ as a result, he claimed.

Describing Pc Lynch he said: “He’s not one who likes confrontation. He just likes to keep his head down and do his job.”

Mr Aldred said Pc Johnson’s suggestion that Blakeley could be arrested the following morning would not have seemed unreasonable to Pc Lynch.

The panel previously heard that Pc Johnson took up an offer of counselling following the murders of his colleagues Pcs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone just weeks before.

However, a message sent from his phone described how he ‘Couldn’t be a***d’ going to Pc Bone’s funeral.

Mr Aldred described Pc Johnson as a ‘callous and arrogant man’ who has ‘no role in policing’.

He said: “Mr Johnson appears to be a selfish man who couldn’t be bothered to go to his colleague’s funeral.”