Cranfield bride 'rescued' by police as car breaks down Published duration 17 December 2019

image copyright Bedfordshire Police image caption Jenna and Craig Bassam were escorted to their wedding reception by police

A bride had to be "rescued" by police when her wedding car broke down on the way to the church.

Jenna Bassam said the car "started chugging" and she had to get out on the side of the A421 in Bedfordshire.

Police waited with the car while it was fixed at the roadside and Mrs Bassam was taken to her wedding by her mother.

Officers from Bedfordshire Police then escorted Mrs Bassam and her new husband Craig to their wedding reception in Cranfield.

"We had blue lights to the reception and the officers stopped the whole village," Mrs Bassam said.

image copyright Bedfordshire Police image caption Mrs Bassam said the police escort "topped off" her big day

The 27-year-old said her family had arranged for a vintage Jaguar to transport her to the ceremony on Saturday as a "surprise wedding gift".

"We were on our way and then the car started chugging along the A421 and the chauffeur said 'you might have to get out on the side of the road'," she said.

"It was raining and freezing so I started to panic.

"My dad was with me and he just said 'it's all part of the adventure'."

image copyright Bedfordshire Police image caption The couple said the officers were finishing their shift when the breakdown happened

Mr Bassam, 27, said he was "pacing around the church" when he was told about his wife's car trouble.

She arrived 20 minutes late, which Mr Bassam said "wasn't too bad" as he was "expecting worse".

After the service, the bride and groom left the church to find the wedding car, police and a roadside recovery vehicle waiting for them outside.

"We saw the blue flashing lights and the officers said they were waiting to rescue us and escort us to the reception," Mrs Bassam said.

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Special Insp Ash Harris from Bedfordshire Police said he was due to go off duty but wanted to help.

"Everyone associates the police with catching criminals, but the main thing is to make a difference to our community" he said.

The bride said: "We have five children and they absolutely loved it. They all got to go in the police car.