A long side view of Liverpool & Bootle Constabulary’s 1968 Morris Mini Cooper S fleet, with officers positioned along the line of cars.
LIVERPOOL & BOOTLE CONSTABULARY’S POLICE MINI STORY
Meet Liverpool & Bootle Constabulary’s distinctive white Mini Cooper S traffic cars, marked by bold black POLICE lettering, and discover their stories and the people keeping their history alive.
Morris Mini Cooper S MkII cars from the 1968 OKD fleet lined up with officers, with several registrations clearly readable.
This is the archives strongest photograph for identifying individual cars within the 1968 OKD fleet. OKD 700F is prominent in the foreground, followed by OKD 692F and OKD 689F, with further cars continuing along the line. The front three quarter angle records the Morris MkII grille treatment as well as the repeated roof mounted POLICE boards and warning equipment. The officers positioned with the cars and the uniform presentation of the line give the photograph the character of a formal fleet image while also providing valuable evidence for comparing individual registrations and equipment installations.
HISTORIC FLEET PHOTOGRAPH
This period line up captures the scale and character of Liverpool & Bootle Constabulary’s Police Mini fleet. Follow the registrations to discover each car’s history, later life and owner stories.
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FLEET HISTORY
Retired traffic officer Dave Richards recalled that Liverpool & Bootle Constabulary’s Mini Coopers were particularly well suited to the streets of the city and its suburbs. The 1275cc Cooper S offered compact dimensions, strong acceleration, front disc brakes and near 100 mph performance, making it a quick and manoeuvrable traffic car for urban duties.
ON DUTY
This is how a working Police Mini was equipped for duty. Explore the livery, warning equipment and practical details used in service.
Fleet chronology
A developing chronology assembled from fleet photographs, published records, surviving cars and the memories shared with Police Mini.
On 1 April 1967, Liverpool City Police and Bootle Borough Police ceased to operate as separate forces and combined to form Liverpool & Bootle Constabulary. Sir James Haughton, formerly Chief Constable of Liverpool City Police, became Chief Constable of the new force.
Source: Liverpool City Police — Liverpool and Bootle Constabulary ↗The earliest 1967 group currently represented in the archive carries KKD E suffix registrations. Six cars are presently documented. Each is included according to the surviving photographic, documentary or ownership evidence currently available.
Source: Police Mini Liverpool & Bootle Fleet ArchiveAn elevated period photograph records the wider Liverpool & Bootle Constabulary fleet in 1967, with Austin Mini Cooper S cars appearing alongside Ford Anglias, police motorcycles and uniformed officers. The image places the early Police Minis within the broader operational fleet of the period.
An elevated 1967 view of Liverpool’s police fleet assembled with Austin Mini Cooper S cars, Ford Anglias, police motorcycles and uniformed officers.
A remarkable overhead portrait of the wider Liverpool police vehicle fleet in 1967. Austin Mini Cooper S cars form a major part of the formation, alongside Ford Anglia police cars, rows of police motorcycles and uniformed officers. The elevated viewpoint provides an unusually useful comparison of the different vehicle types and their roof mounted equipment. Two of the nearest front facing Minis appear to carry registrations KKD 442E and KKD 430E, although the resolution of the surviving image means these readings should presently be treated as probable rather than confirmed.
Rights / permissionLiverpool City Police
Open original source ↗A surviving period photograph records KKD 427E during its police service. Details visible in the image provide a valuable contemporary reference for the appearance and equipment of one of the earliest Police Minis represented in the archive.
Austin Mini Cooper S MkI KKD 427E photographed in service, showing its large POLICE lettering, roof-mounted police equipment and additional front lamps.
A clear period study of KKD 427E and one of the strongest surviving references for the appearance of Liverpool’s Austin Mini Cooper S MkI fleet. The three quarter view records the Austin MkI front, registration and large side POLICE lettering particularly well. On the roof, the POLICE board is flanked by the air horns, with the overall roof installation already closely resembling that seen on the later Morris MkII cars. The most obvious visual difference here is the additional lamps mounted at the front of the car.
Rights / permissionLiverpool City Police
Open original source ↗A surviving period photograph records KKD 435E in police trim, providing another rare contemporary view of the 1967 KKD cars and their appearance during service.
Source photographKKD 435E in service at BootlePeriod photograph · Open photograph →Austin Mini Cooper S MkI KKD 435E pictured at Bootle behind a Ford Anglia police car, showing its rear POLICE/STOP roof board and rear quarter aerial.
An exceptionally useful period streetscape showing KKD 435E as part of the wider police vehicle fleet rather than in isolation. The Mini is parked behind a Ford Anglia police car beside two uniformed officers and a prominent County Borough of Bootle “DRIVE WITH CARE” sign. KKD 435E’s registration, large side POLICE lettering and rear facing POLICE/STOP roof board are clearly recorded. Of particular interest is the aerial mounted on the drivers side rear quarter above the tail lamp. The same view also shows no second fuel filler on that side, indicating that KKD 435E was photographed here without the twin tank arrangement associated with many Cooper S cars suggesting that 1967 cars were ordered without twin tanks. A route 39 double-decker bus and the surrounding streetscape add further contemporary context to the photograph.
A surviving period photograph records an unidentified Austin Mini Cooper S MkI on duty in Liverpool. Its Austin front treatment, Cooper S wheels, large side POLICE lettering and roof mounted police equipment provide a useful reference for the appearance of the early cars, even though the registration has not yet been identified.
An unidentified Austin Mini Cooper S MkI photographed on duty, showing its Austin front treatment, Cooper S wheels and roof-mounted police equipment.
A useful period view of an unidentified Austin Mini Cooper S MkI in an urban Liverpool streetscape. The Austin front treatment and Cooper S wheel specification help establish the car’s identity even though the registration is not sufficiently clear to connect it confidently with one of the known KKD cars. Large POLICE lettering dominates the side of the car, while the roof mounted sign and associated warning equipment are clearly visible. Buildings, street furniture and prominent painted lettering on the premises behind the car offer potential clues for identifying the location through further research.
Rights / permissionLiverpool City Police
Open original source ↗The 1968 fleet is represented in the archive by eleven currently documented OKD F suffix registrations. Evidence varies between individual cars, ranging from registrations positively identified in period photography to records supported by surviving documentation, vehicle history and later research.
Source: Police Mini Liverpool & Bootle Fleet ArchiveA surviving period line up records part of the 1968 OKD fleet in police service, complete with the distinctive roof mounted POLICE boards, warning lamps and air horns. Several registrations can be identified across the line up, making it one of the archive’s most important contemporary fleet photographs.
Source photograph1968 OKD fleet side line-up with officersPeriod photograph · Open photograph →A long side view of Liverpool & Bootle Constabulary’s 1968 Morris Mini Cooper S fleet, with officers positioned along the line of cars.
One of the archives best photographs for studying the OKD cars as a fleet. The repeated side on view shows the positioning and scale of the large POLICE lettering, wheel and hubcap treatment and roof mounted equipment across a substantial line of Morris Mini Cooper S MkII cars. Uniformed officers stand alongside several vehicles, while the cobbled surface, fencing and terraced housing retain the surroundings in which the fleet was photographed. Although registrations are not readily readable from this angle, the image is especially useful for comparing the consistency of equipment and presentation from car to car.
Source photograph1968 OKD fleet front line-upPeriod photograph · Open photograph →Morris Mini Cooper S MkII cars from the 1968 OKD fleet lined up with officers, with several registrations clearly readable.
This is the archives strongest photograph for identifying individual cars within the 1968 OKD fleet. OKD 700F is prominent in the foreground, followed by OKD 692F and OKD 689F, with further cars continuing along the line. The front three quarter angle records the Morris MkII grille treatment as well as the repeated roof mounted POLICE boards and warning equipment. The officers positioned with the cars and the uniform presentation of the line give the photograph the character of a formal fleet image while also providing valuable evidence for comparing individual registrations and equipment installations.
A clear period photograph records OKD 700F in police trim. The side view shows its POLICE lettering, roof mounted POLICE sign, warning equipment and radio aerial, and provides one of the archive's strongest individual views of a known 1968 OKD car.
Morris Mini Cooper S MkII OKD 700F in a clear side portrait showing its POLICE markings, roof sign, warning equipment and radio aerial.
One of the archives most useful individual reference photographs. OKD 700F is shown unobstructed from the front and side, making the Morris MkII front treatment, registration, large POLICE lettering, wheels and overall stance particularly clear. The roof installation is exceptionally well recorded: a forward facing POLICE panel sits beneath a raised warning beacon, with air horns mounted to either side, while a tall whip aerial is separately visible on the roof. Taken together, these details make the photograph especially valuable when researching the radio and warning equipment fitted to the 1968 fleet.
Rights / permissionLiverpool City Police
Open original source ↗In February 1969, Superintendent E. S. Wright of Liverpool & Bootle Constabulary’s Traffic Division published an account of the force’s traffic policing operation in The Police Journal. His contemporary account records the use of 27 BMC Mini Cooper S cars and provides one of the strongest surviving period documentary references to the scale and operation of the fleet.
Source: The Police Journal — E. S. Wright, February 1969 ↗The 1969 group currently represented in the archive carries SKD G suffix registrations.
Source: Police Mini Liverpool & Bootle Fleet ArchiveA period street scene shows a Morris Mini Cooper S MkII deployed alongside a police motorcycle during an operational incident. The photograph provides a rare view of a Police Mini being used in the working street environment rather than posed as part of a fleet photograph.
A Morris Mini Cooper S MkII with twin fuel tanks and roof mounted police equipment, photographed in a busy street scene with no large side POLICE markings visible.
A particularly valuable operational photograph because the Morris Mini Cooper S MkII is shown within a much wider street scene rather than posed for the camera. Its twin fuel fillers are clearly visible, providing strong visual confirmation of Cooper S specification. The car carries roof-mounted police equipment, but unlike the more familiar marked fleet photographs, no large POLICE lettering is visible on the side shown here. A police motorcycle stands alongside it while numerous officers work around a laden lorry and other vehicles. The surrounding shops, pedestrians and business signs including The Regent School of Motoring.
Rights / permissionLiverpool City Police
Open original source ↗The final registration series currently represented in the archive carries XLV J suffix registrations. At present XLV 102J is the only identified example in the Police Mini database, supported by surviving legacy material relating the car to Liverpool & Bootle Constabulary service.
Source: Police Mini Liverpool & Bootle Fleet ArchiveA period photograph shows Liverpool & Bootle Constabulary officers viewing a recruitment display containing photographs of Police Minis alongside other operational policing scenes. The image shows that the distinctive cars also formed part of the forces public and recruitment imagery.
Officers viewing a Liverpool & Bootle Constabulary recruitment display featuring several Police Minis among photographs of operational police work.
An unusual piece of contemporary evidence showing how the Police Mini formed part of the forces public image as well as its operational fleet. Uniformed officers are pictured studying a large recruitment display headed “Join the Liverpool Bootle Police” and “GET IN ON THE ACTION”, directing applicants to the Recruiting Officer at Police Headquarters, Hope Street, Liverpool. Several Minis appear within the photographic montage. Of particular interest, the Minis shown here do not appear to carry the large side POLICE lettering familiar from many other fleet photographs. This echoes another surviving period photograph of a twin tank Morris Mini Cooper S MkII carrying police equipment but no visible side POLICE markings, raising the possibility that these recruitment images also record MkII era cars or, a less conspicuously marked configuration. The small size of the photographs within the poster prevents a firm model identification, so this remains an important research lead rather than a confirmed identification.
Rights / permissionLiverpool City Police
Open original source ↗On 1 April 1974, Liverpool & Bootle Constabulary ceased to exist and became part of the newly created Merseyside Police. The reorganisation brought policing across Liverpool, Bootle and the surrounding Merseyside area into the new metropolitan force.
Source: Merseyside Police — 50th anniversary history ↗After police service the Minis followed very different paths. Some survived, while others were restored, exported, converted or dismantled, and many are now known only through photographs, documents, parts and former owner accounts. Police Mini continues to bring those fragments together, add newly evidenced cars and distinguish documented history from promising research leads.
FROM THE GALLERY
An unidentified Austin Mini Cooper S MkI photographed on duty, showing its Austin front treatment, Cooper S wheels and roof-mounted police equipment.
A useful period view of an unidentified Austin Mini Cooper S MkI in an urban Liverpool streetscape. The Austin front treatment and Cooper S wheel specification help establish the car’s identity even though the registration is not sufficiently clear to connect it confidently with one of the known KKD cars. Large POLICE lettering dominates the side of the car, while the roof mounted sign and associated warning equipment are clearly visible. Buildings, street furniture and prominent painted lettering on the premises behind the car offer potential clues for identifying the location through further research.
Rights / permissionLiverpool City Police
Open original source ↗Austin Mini Cooper S MkI KKD 427E photographed in service, showing its large POLICE lettering, roof-mounted police equipment and additional front lamps.
A clear period study of KKD 427E and one of the strongest surviving references for the appearance of Liverpool’s Austin Mini Cooper S MkI fleet. The three quarter view records the Austin MkI front, registration and large side POLICE lettering particularly well. On the roof, the POLICE board is flanked by the air horns, with the overall roof installation already closely resembling that seen on the later Morris MkII cars. The most obvious visual difference here is the additional lamps mounted at the front of the car.
Rights / permissionLiverpool City Police
Open original source ↗Austin Mini Cooper S MkI KKD 435E pictured at Bootle behind a Ford Anglia police car, showing its rear POLICE/STOP roof board and rear quarter aerial.
An exceptionally useful period streetscape showing KKD 435E as part of the wider police vehicle fleet rather than in isolation. The Mini is parked behind a Ford Anglia police car beside two uniformed officers and a prominent County Borough of Bootle “DRIVE WITH CARE” sign. KKD 435E’s registration, large side POLICE lettering and rear facing POLICE/STOP roof board are clearly recorded. Of particular interest is the aerial mounted on the drivers side rear quarter above the tail lamp. The same view also shows no second fuel filler on that side, indicating that KKD 435E was photographed here without the twin tank arrangement associated with many Cooper S cars suggesting that 1967 cars were ordered without twin tanks. A route 39 double-decker bus and the surrounding streetscape add further contemporary context to the photograph.
Morris Mini Cooper S MkII OKD 700F in a clear side portrait showing its POLICE markings, roof sign, warning equipment and radio aerial.
One of the archives most useful individual reference photographs. OKD 700F is shown unobstructed from the front and side, making the Morris MkII front treatment, registration, large POLICE lettering, wheels and overall stance particularly clear. The roof installation is exceptionally well recorded: a forward facing POLICE panel sits beneath a raised warning beacon, with air horns mounted to either side, while a tall whip aerial is separately visible on the roof. Taken together, these details make the photograph especially valuable when researching the radio and warning equipment fitted to the 1968 fleet.
Rights / permissionLiverpool City Police
Open original source ↗Morris Mini Cooper S MkII cars from the 1968 OKD fleet lined up with officers, with several registrations clearly readable.
This is the archives strongest photograph for identifying individual cars within the 1968 OKD fleet. OKD 700F is prominent in the foreground, followed by OKD 692F and OKD 689F, with further cars continuing along the line. The front three quarter angle records the Morris MkII grille treatment as well as the repeated roof mounted POLICE boards and warning equipment. The officers positioned with the cars and the uniform presentation of the line give the photograph the character of a formal fleet image while also providing valuable evidence for comparing individual registrations and equipment installations.
Officers viewing a Liverpool & Bootle Constabulary recruitment display featuring several Police Minis among photographs of operational police work.
An unusual piece of contemporary evidence showing how the Police Mini formed part of the forces public image as well as its operational fleet. Uniformed officers are pictured studying a large recruitment display headed “Join the Liverpool Bootle Police” and “GET IN ON THE ACTION”, directing applicants to the Recruiting Officer at Police Headquarters, Hope Street, Liverpool. Several Minis appear within the photographic montage. Of particular interest, the Minis shown here do not appear to carry the large side POLICE lettering familiar from many other fleet photographs. This echoes another surviving period photograph of a twin tank Morris Mini Cooper S MkII carrying police equipment but no visible side POLICE markings, raising the possibility that these recruitment images also record MkII era cars or, a less conspicuously marked configuration. The small size of the photographs within the poster prevents a firm model identification, so this remains an important research lead rather than a confirmed identification.
Rights / permissionLiverpool City Police
Open original source ↗A Morris Mini Cooper S MkII with twin fuel tanks and roof mounted police equipment, photographed in a busy street scene with no large side POLICE markings visible.
A particularly valuable operational photograph because the Morris Mini Cooper S MkII is shown within a much wider street scene rather than posed for the camera. Its twin fuel fillers are clearly visible, providing strong visual confirmation of Cooper S specification. The car carries roof-mounted police equipment, but unlike the more familiar marked fleet photographs, no large POLICE lettering is visible on the side shown here. A police motorcycle stands alongside it while numerous officers work around a laden lorry and other vehicles. The surrounding shops, pedestrians and business signs including The Regent School of Motoring.
Rights / permissionLiverpool City Police
Open original source ↗A long side view of Liverpool & Bootle Constabulary’s 1968 Morris Mini Cooper S fleet, with officers positioned along the line of cars.
One of the archives best photographs for studying the OKD cars as a fleet. The repeated side on view shows the positioning and scale of the large POLICE lettering, wheel and hubcap treatment and roof mounted equipment across a substantial line of Morris Mini Cooper S MkII cars. Uniformed officers stand alongside several vehicles, while the cobbled surface, fencing and terraced housing retain the surroundings in which the fleet was photographed. Although registrations are not readily readable from this angle, the image is especially useful for comparing the consistency of equipment and presentation from car to car.
An elevated 1967 view of Liverpool’s police fleet assembled with Austin Mini Cooper S cars, Ford Anglias, police motorcycles and uniformed officers.
A remarkable overhead portrait of the wider Liverpool police vehicle fleet in 1967. Austin Mini Cooper S cars form a major part of the formation, alongside Ford Anglia police cars, rows of police motorcycles and uniformed officers. The elevated viewpoint provides an unusually useful comparison of the different vehicle types and their roof mounted equipment. Two of the nearest front facing Minis appear to carry registrations KKD 442E and KKD 430E, although the resolution of the surviving image means these readings should presently be treated as probable rather than confirmed.
Rights / permissionLiverpool City Police
Open original source ↗Owners · officers · restorers · enthusiasts
First-hand accounts · memories · ownership
Stories is the part of Police Mini for first hand accounts: the people who owned the cars, drove them, worked alongside them, restored them, photographed them or remember them. It does not need to wait for the archive research to be complete. There are no published stories yet. If you have one, use Write a story above and send it in. Once reviewed, it can become part of the archive alongside the records and photographs.
CARS AWAY FROM THE ARCHIVE
Follow the cars through auction rooms, road runs, displays, restorations and public appearances.
RESEARCH PHASE
In the Wild is being built from checked research, car by car. Each Mini is being worked through individually auction records, road runs, displays, restorations and public sightings and only records that can be tied back to the car will be published here. The first verified appearances will begin to appear as that work progresses.
Learn more about a car, or contribute.
1969 · Morris Mini Cooper S MkII
A preserved police-presented Mini photographed publicly as SKD 220G and familiar from Corgi’s Liverpool City Police model.
Discover this car →1967 · Austin Mini Cooper S MkI
Discover this car →1970 · Morris Mini Cooper S MkII
A 1970 Cooper S restoration project with a documented production and auction history, widely presented as a likely Liverpool & Bootle Constabulary fleet car.
Discover this car →1969 · Morris Mini Cooper S MkII
A Police White Cooper S remembered by a former owner as a Liverpool police car; its registration has not yet been connected to the archive.
Discover this car →1967 · Austin Mini Cooper S MkI
Discover this car →1968 · Morris Mini Cooper S MkII 1275
A Liverpool & Bootle Constabulary Cooper S candidate recorded in the legacy ex-police Mini register, with restoration and Beaulieu appearance reports.
Discover this car →1968 · Morris Mini Cooper S MkII
Recorded in the historic OKD fleet line-up and photographed again at later public events.
Discover this car →1968 · Morris Mini Cooper S MkII
The foreground car in the historic OKD fleet line-up photograph.
Discover this car →1968 · Morris Mini Cooper S MkII
A former-owner account records restoration in the 1990s, export to the United States in 2001 and later residence in Seattle.
Discover this car →1970 · Morris Mini Cooper S MkII
A restored 1970 Cooper S with a published chassis identity, Liverpool & Bootle Constabulary history and later UK and US auction appearances.
Discover this car →1968 · Morris Mini Cooper S MkII
Recorded by registration in the historic OKD fleet line-up.
Discover this car →1968 · Morris Mini Cooper S MkII
Recorded through a contributor photograph of dismantled Mini bodywork and components associated with the registration.
Discover this car →OWNERS AND CUSTODIANS
Claim a listed car page, add a missing registration, or do both together.
Commentary
One of the archives best photographs for studying the OKD cars as a fleet. The repeated side on view shows the positioning and scale of the large POLICE lettering, wheel and hubcap treatment and roof mounted equipment across a substantial line of Morris Mini Cooper S MkII cars. Uniformed officers stand alongside several vehicles, while the cobbled surface, fencing and terraced housing retain the surroundings in which the fleet was photographed. Although registrations are not readily readable from this angle, the image is especially useful for comparing the consistency of equipment and presentation from car to car.