Footloose and fancy feet... on the beat

DANCING cop . . . Inspector Jacqui Prest with colleagues PC Aaron Palmer and PC Gill Collins

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A POLICEWOMAN from Hathershaw just couldn’t control her feet - and the result has become an internet sensation.

Oldham Inspector Jacqui Prest’s footwork to “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins at the Pride Festival in Manchester was caught on camera in the city’s Portland Street. The video was seen over 200,000 times on YouTube.

Inspector Prest, who learned tap and ballet as a youngster has been amazed by the reaction: “It’s been overwhelming. I just can’t get over it,” she said.

“I’ve been on the phone to CBS News in New York and I also met Leo Sayer while at the BBC — I told him that if ‘Thunder In My Heart’ had come on I would have danced to that too!

“I was waiting for the rest of the parade and when ‘Footloose’ came on my feet started tapping and it went from there.”

Inspector Prest has been a police officer for 18 years and has attended the Pride festival most years - once dressed in a panda costume.

She added: “When I joined GMP I was amazed by its attitude and started to be open about being gay. Hopefully the video’s popularity will help let the LGBT community know that the police understand.”