Continuity mistake: In the first scene of part three, the outside shots show the squad car driving over a bridge over the river Thames. As soon as the shots are inside the car they are driving past a sports ground.
Continuity mistake: During the car chase the Jag spins round, the Sweeney's Ford Granada is behind it, then next shot the squad's blue Ford Cortina is behind it. Then at the crossroads the blue Cortina is driving towards the Jag from the other direction.
Continuity mistake: When Ingram is driving the blue Ford Cortina squad car the registration number on the front is DLO97M, and on the rear of the car it is NHK296M.
Continuity mistake: Carter is in the betting shop watching Albert Milligan, when Milligan goes out of the shop you can see through the doorway a red Fiat coupé parked outside the shop which is still there when Carter leaves the shop, but when the scene changes to outside the shop the red Fiat is parked outside the shop next door.
Continuity mistake: Brake lights are reflected in the front of the security van in the close up of when it pulls up outside the factory, but in the wide shot there is no vehicle in front of the van.
Answer: Scripted.