Elephants in Chesterfield market captured on ground-breaking police film that made legal history

This marked the first use of video evidence in a British court and potentially set the standard worldwide, changing the face of law enforcement procedures forever.

In the heart of this landmark case was PC Saunders of the Chesterfield Borough Police, who for almost a week, monitored a group of illegal street bookmakers from the first floor of a shop window overlooking Chesterfield marketplace. The subsequent film was an innovative piece of evidence, a 16mm reversal print, capturing the culprits in action.

The unveiling of this evidence caused quite a stir in the Chesterfield Court, temporarily transforming the solemn courtroom into a makeshift cinema. This extraordinary presentation amused both the defendants and the magistrates, making the hearing a spectacle that became a piece of legal history.

An archived Derbyshire Times article paints a vivid picture of the dramatic atmosphere, the anticipation, the surprise, and the amusement as the usual court proceedings were upended. Of the 39 defendants, 25 were ultimately discharged while the remaining 14 were fined between £2 and £20, or given bind-over orders.

Adding a touch of whimsy to the film is the sight of a troupe of elephants sauntering across the marketplace – performers from a local circus.

Following the groundbreaking Chesterfield case, police units in Glasgow, Lancashire, and Bradford promptly adopted this innovative use of film evidence.

Today, you can witness this remarkable slice of legal history first hand. It is preserved in the BFI National Archive and is accessible online at: https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-evidence-1935-online.