Length of service: 12 months

Planned hours: 0800-2000

Location: Metropolitan Police Service

All timings are approximate

0800- Arrive at the nick and kit up. I’m part of a serial today policing a local stadium for a big football match. West Ham United V Southampton. K.O is at 1300hrs but we need to get to the borough and brief, as well as police the local area before the match. MSC officers are providing all serials, however L2 PO officers are on standby to respond to calls of fighting or escalating violence if required.

1000- We arrive at the local PS for our briefing. Several officers in my serial have never done this before so should be a good learning curve for them. After a bit of waiting around while the serial Sgts have their own briefing, we are all called into the brief room and it begins.

Strategic points are highlighted, as well as key info such as supporter tension areas, cash machines etc. We also go over specific hooligan and football related legislation as a refresher of additional powers that could be used, as well as firework legislation.

The final note is to remember the entire borough is a no-alcohol zone, to stay safe and enjoy the event.

1100- We head out in the van and park up nearby to Upton Park LUL station. We are joined by up to 10 more vans full of officers from the briefing who will also be patrolling this patch. As we head off on foot, we split into pairs and space ourselves out as we begin our patrol up and down. We are responsible for a 0.5 mile section of Green Street, which runs directly outside the stadium to the LUL station.

The pavements are packed already. Merchandise sales, visitors and residents all trying to keep on the narrow walkways. The road isn’t closed, so a steady stream of vehicles travels in both directions.

On our half of the road a local shop is very busy. A look closer and there are big signs telling people not to buy their alcohol, but they still openly sell it. (Why wouldn’t they? Must be making a killing on match days!)

A little time is spent here announcing a “no alcohol zone, it will be confiscated.” When the next pair arrive at the shop, myself and my partner move forward toward the end of the street.

We arrive at the junction with Barking Road. A tension spot. There is a C/Ins there with a L2 PO serial. After a brief chat we turn around and begin heading back up towards the LUL station.

1140- Back near the shop. Myself and my colleague I’m partnered with stop a few lads with open vessels (Stella cans to you and me) We highlight the problem, and they hand over the beers easy enough. 5090s completed for the alcohol seizures.

Soon after a different bloke walks straight out of the shop and pulls open the can. I stop him and tell him the problem, being a no-alcohol zone. He takes exception to this and tries to run off. I follow him out into the road and grab a hold of him. He takes me down to the floor and we’re rolling about over a can of beer. *Sigh

My partner gets on the radio and two officers from another serial rush over and help me up with this guy. They get him in cuffs and we clear from the road. It turns out this guy is French and didn’t really know what I was saying. His English was pretty poor. These two other officers pat this guy down and we get his ID. My partner runs checks on him and his mobiles while we have him stopped.

After several minutes we finally get the message across. He’s still not happy and wants us to give him his money back for the beer he’s wasted. Tough luck. A final word of advice and he’s released.

1230- 30 minutes to K.O and the majority of the fans are now in the stadium. However many stragglers and late comers are rushing toward to make K.O. At this point we are back up near the LUL station and our van. We spot two lads urinating between the vans up a wall. A little startled to hear my voice, they quickly put their bits away. 2 tickets completed for public urination after the person checks came back clear. Expensive pee. The toilet aren’t too far from here.

1301- We had strict instructions to rejoin our serial at a specific gate for K.O. We were about 5 minutes away on foot and quickly made our way to our position. The huge doors were closed. So a bang on the door and the steward lets us in from the inside.

1315- West Ham have scored already and we’re first for refs! I’m more interested in feeding than the football so I’m delighted were on break first. (When does that ever happen?)

We finish up and head to a position in the far corner. We are led through narrow passageways under the stands to save walking the pitch edge.

I’ve never been to a football game before, the atmosphere is truly amazing I must say. It feels so huge and loud. Especially being down on pitch level.

We’re told not to watch the game, but keep an eye out into the stands for any possible trouble. I’m not liking the idea of heading up into there. Thankfully the stewards go in first unless it’s a big mess and bring the trouble makers to us. Same for any pitch streakers/invaders. They are tasked to run around like wallys chasing them rather than us. Anyway we work out a way to keep an eye on the game and the stands in turn. We’re all happy.

1350- After some extra time the half time whistle is blown. Over the steward PR reports of known WHU trouble makers are in one of the bar areas under the stand we are at. We head in as a complete serial.

This is probably the worst part. There is approximately 8 of us in here with how ever many hundreds of merry supporters. It’s very cramped and we hold shoulders to stay together and push through to where we are needed. Very intimidating I must admit. The bustling, and loud noise. You can hardly hear your colleague shouting to keep together.

The trouble makers are discreetly pointed out but they are playing nice today. Maybe us being there quickly has persuaded them no fighting in the bar area today. And boy were we glad! I’d imagine it to be carnage if that happened!

1410- (Approximate time) and the second half has started. We’re now down the other side of the stand and we can’t see the supporters from here. Only those across the pitch, and nothing we can do about those if they we’re to kick off. We can relax a little and stand and watch the entire second half.

West Ham went on to win 3-1.

1450- 5 minutes before the actual final whistle we head back out through the narrow passageway, out the huge gate and back to the main road. We need to get to the LUL station and keep the peace ready for the supporters piling up and trying to get on the trains.

BTP have the station building and the platforms, we have everywhere between. Lucky them.

We form up along the side street where the riot vans are all parked. The idea is that as each gateway becomes swamped the steward closes the gate and the crowd move down to the next one. This saves fence hopping to avoid long queues walking the long way. I have to jump in a help the steward close the gate opposite me, there was a large crush! A bit of verbal domination and many decide to start running to the next gate!

We’re here for around 2 hours. The swell of the crowd stays large for most of this time. Many ask for a photo with me and their kids, which is nice.

There is also the underlying problem with beers again. Any open cans are removed and seized. Supporters think they have a few tricks to smuggle them past, but we are wise to these.

1507- Several Grade I calls are announced of ‘sporadic fighting’ at some locations within a few minutes of each other. The L2 officers mobilize in their vehicles. Upon arrival at each location they announce there is nobody there and must just be hoax calls.

1700- The lead Inspector calls us all outside of the LUL station. A congratulation is in order for the way we handled the event. It was the first MSC only football aid for a long time, and he was very happy with how we handled it. Probably partly to the home supporters being happy with a win. I’d imagine there would have been more trouble had they lost.

1730- After a quick soft drink and de-kit. We load up back into our van and head for our home borough.

1800- After arriving back at our nick Intel reports collated from the day and seizure notes added into the system we end the shift together around an hour later. An hour early, result!

Length of service: 12 months

Planned hours: 2100-0600

Location: Metropolitan Police Service

All timings are approximate

2100- Arrive at the nick and meet up with my regular colleague. We do many shifts together double crewed, and tonight is no different. We are working with the night shift response team. Kit up and briefing complete, last few e-mails dealt with and we are ready to head out as the ‘early’ car

2200- Head straight out to a collapsed male in a bus stop. We arrive and speak to the MOPs who saw what happened. I deal with enquiries while my colleague is treating the male as we await LAS. About 10 mins later a response unit arrives and he’s hooked up to the gadgets to monitor him. Hes getting a little agitated before going unconscious. Into the recovery position and away the LAS bus to arrive and cart him to the local hospital.

2300- Were now floating about waiting for something nearby to our current position to come out. The remainder of the night shift have swapped over with late turn and are also on patrol now.

2330- Head to a well-known ASB & drugs hotspot we visit regularly. We can see a car parked there as we approach from the main road. As we turn in the headlights are off and we crawl up toward the parked car. A few hundred metres later and we’re pretty close to the target car. The lights go back on and we can see the 5 occupants inside. Colleague jumps out and there is a big whiff of cannabis.

Two males upfront, three barely dressed females in the back. I shout up and ask for another unit female crewed to come and give a hand with the search. The front passenger stated he hadn’t long smoked a joint. Grounds were given and both of the chaps and the car were searched as the unit arrived to assist.

An area car arrived double female crewed. Perfect! The girls were all drug less and after name checks were allowed on their way. An intel report added later for the passenger and vehicle.

2400- Its pub kick out time. We don’t have a pub/club district at all on this borough, we still have our fair share of alcohol related incidents.

Two calls come out at the same time, one in the town centre outside a well-known pub of a fight, and one just around the corner for an aggressive female in the street. The area car goes for the town centre as it’s further and they have taser, and we take the closer call.

0004- After locating the street, it just begins mid-way along an existing street (weird) we see a victim who flags us down. He states a lady was “possessed” and damaging cars, shouting her head off. He point further down the road and states she has gone down there.

We advance slowly in the car and my colleague spots her lying face down on the bonnet of a parked vehicle. We pull up to the side and jump out. Colleague tries rousing her before she awakes and lifts her off the bonnet. I kid you not it was like something out of a zombie movie. Immediately began shrieking and waving her arms about.

Ok well I guess we have found our suspect. I stick with her while my colleague goes back up the street to identify any damage to the cars alleged. While hes gone this female has taken a dislike to me and head-butts me in the chest armor.

I don’t really want to arrest her just yet (big mistake) I put her down to the floor gently as I don’t really want her falling over and hurting herself. Shes drunk as a skunk! Eurgh, while I do this she gobs at me all over the front of my armor, and all on my trousers!

“Fudge!” I shout. Shes now trying to eat me! I wasn’t wrong about the zombie idea afterall!

I restrain her and before I can slap some cuffs on her, shes still thrashing about and gets a few kicks on me!

Im now shouting for my colleague to come back over, it’s far safer for her and us if I’m not doing this alone. I sense a figure come over, but it’s not my colleague. It’s some unknown guy who’s now trying to get me off of this woman.

Seconds after my colleague is back over and pulls this guy off me and pushes him away. We get the cuffs on this woman and shes arrested for criminal damage and assault police.

It turns out this fella is her boyfriend. He keeps buzzing around us protesting her innocence. A prisoner van is on the way and we wait with her pinned on the floor comfortably. This guy is beginning to edge toward getting himself nicked in a-mo. The CS comes out and I shout for him to “Back off or you’re gunna get sprayed, now BACK OFF!” He finally gets the message and disappears.

0030- The vans here and shes loaded in the back. The cell is on the next borough so I follow the van while my buddy is watching my prisoner for me. Shes kicking off in the cage and we have to stop to sort her out for the rest of the journey.

0100- We’re seen by the custody skipper and the DP is not happy we’re there with her, claiming we’ve done all sorted to her etc. Custody skipper asks us to stand back and let the DDOs deal with her for us. She takes exception to this and royally kicks off. Shes carried into the cell, and staff cell extracted out after the secondary search is completed.

0130- Shes not head-butting the cells. *Sigh* I know where this is going. Custody call for LAS as shes going at it pretty hard. Looks like we’re now going to be a hospital guard for the rest of the night.

0150- Two LAS crews are here now (what a waste) and we’re just about to head to the local hospital. It’s like a 2 minute ride. Thankfully I’m following in the car again. Shes protesting that the LAS staff have done some nasty things to her also. A few minutes rest from her for me was great!

0200- The next several hours are truly horrible. I don’t even wish to type about it. I’m sure you can imagine. A drunk female hurling abuse at you and stuff, other patients nearby while we wait for the doctor to come and check the head wounds.

0400- DP is now offering sexual favours to have the hand-cuffs off. “I’ll behave if you take them off, promise” *Wink*

Yeah sure, never heard that one before. Finally the doctor is here. Shes pretty strict with the DP which I secretly find hilarious.

0440- The results are back and shes being discharged. Behaving pretty pleasantly now, mustn’t realize she is off back to the nick and not home now.

0500- The vans back and we take her back to custody. She books in like a human this time, not a possessed zombie, must be sobering up finally. I take her back to her cell and shes out like a light before I’ve finished speaking with the custody skipper just a few minutes later.

While this is happening, my colleague has already started the reports.

0700- After seeking some advice, not wanting to mess anything up, we book off at 0700. Not too bad considering. Just a shame so many hours are wasted at the hospital.

AS this was a little while back, the DP pleaded guilty to all counts of the criminal damage, and 2 for assault police. She went down for a little while. Result.

Length of service: 12 months

Planned hours: 0900-1700

Location: Metropolitan Police Service

All timings are approximate

0800- Arrive at the nick and kit up. Meet up with who I will be patrolling with for the shift. As there are more officers than required, we are split into effectively two teams. One team will be patrolling the market, while the other will be staying with the IRV and taking CADs. The team would be rotated throughout the shift.

0900- IRV is booked out and we head down to the local market. We have been tasked to combat an increase of shoplifting from market traders by a well-known factor of the local community. Community engagement and show a decent, but not overly aggressive presence.

Things start of quite slowly. Us in the IRV head to a good location to look out for driving offences in this period. My colleague I’m currently with needs a FPN toward his IPS status anyway. Not long after they spot a driver go past us on their mobile. The vehicle is stopped and my colleague carries out all of the necessary checks. FPN-E issues for using a mobile while driving.

1000- We make our working area slightly larger in the car, but are still only a short drive back to the market. As we crest a bridge over the underground line, a Blue Subaru passes us in the opposite direction with an unsecured back of soil sat on the bonnet. Seriously??

The car is turned around and we follow the vehicle for a short while running initial checks in the MDT. Vehicle stopped in a layby. I assist my colleague with this stop as the driver is pretty irate that he’s actually been caught.

It turns out he didn’t want any loose soil getting all over the interior of his car. He did not appreciate my concern of him stamping on the brakes at the zebra crossing just over the crest of the bridge and that the soil bag would possibly become a deadly projectile for a pedestrian. I recall he was reported for insecure load (and possibly due care, cant remember.)

1130- With two FPNs in the bag we head back to meet our colleagues still at the market and swap over. There hasn’t been anything notable and they all seem keen on the idea of taking turns with the IRV.

1200- It seems the borough has finally woken up and there are several outstanding CADs the response team haven’t got anyone to deal with now. The operator sends the closest one down to us and it’s a Domestic to report from last night.

1210- Arrive at the address and are greeted by a female occupier. I let my new colleague take the lead again as this could go toward their own progress. Story heard and booklet completed. WE leave the female with a VC card and say our goodbyes.

1300- *I Grade* We are closest and begin to make our way. A young male has been assaulted and mobile phone taken outside the underground station with the crested road bridge we were near earlier.

1304- We arrive just behind the area car. We are asked to stay at the scene and await the arrival of the robbery team (I was amazed they was on shift at this hour!)

1308- Quite soon after the robbery squad arrived and took over with the victim. I handed our initial EAB over and they headed off to conduct an area search with the victim. We were de-assigned and headed back to the market once again.  

1330- Slow drive back taking in some ASB hotspots which were all deserted we met up together and had lunch. Exchanged events so far and worked out who was next in the IRV. The sun was beating down, and the market which is pretty substantial was crowded, but there wasn’t much going on for the officers to deal with. A lost child who was quickly relocated. (A merlin for later for that officer) and just a few youths causing a nuisance asked to leave by the on side stewards.

1400- Next colleague now, again looking for a few specific items toward their IPS progress also. An S grade comes out not too far away, another domestic.

1405- Same as before. I take the back seat and only step in if my colleague needed a slight prod in the correct direction. The story goes the male partner had returned home late this morning still drunk from the night before (must have been a heavy one!) and didn’t like his missus asking where he had been all night. An argument ensued and the neighbours thought he was beating the life out of her. The female refused to give a statement as it ‘was only an argument.’ It was classified a non-crime domestic and we left after some strong words for both of them.

1520- My colleague is after a stop & search so back to the ASB hotspots we go. The airwaves are ‘Q’ for now so we’re not needed for a CAD.

1525- We pull into the first. A strange car park in the middle of a huge field. There are quite a few cars on it as we approach. Well it is weekend football after all. As we swing around the parked cars, there is a Black Fiesta 4 up and looks like the driver is rolling a cigarette. They haven’t seen us yet and I jump out of my seat, and open the driver’s door to say hello before he even really looks up.

In his hands is a 4” paper he is about to lick and roll. I can see the cannabis buds sprinkled through it.

I whip it out of his hands and it all goes into an evidence bag from my pouch. All 4 are detained Sec23, brought out two at a time as myself and my colleague search one each. Then the vehicle gets a good going over. Only a grinder and empty small re-seal bag where this must have just come from.

Good news for the driver, it’s his first offence. My colleague issues a cannabis warning, and we seize their cannabis for evidence/destruction.     

1600- Head back to the market again and collect the officers. As we are leaving the operator circulates that several linked CADs have just came in nearby of a large group of motorcycles pulling wheelies and making a nuisance.

We are in the traffic to turn right and they make the turn from the left behind them. Most of the bikes boot it off, superbikes we had no chance anyway. A pair of mopeds were still ahead of us and ran a red light. The lights have changed as we approach the stop line and I hit the blues. They both pull up and I stop alongside them.

16??- Both drivers are ticketed for running a red ATS by myself. The explain they are part of a bike ‘club’ who met in West London and rode over to here to muck about on this ‘disused road.’ Well this disused road is far from. It runs through an industrial area and is still quite busy, with HGVs and cars.

I strongly suggest they clear off home or they won’t be making the journey by wheels if they are seen again.

There is a long sweeping left bend ahead of us. Several of the superbikes keep coming around it, before turning and heading back. As we slowly creep around. There must be 100+ bikes. Many… many more than we previously saw turning in. I get straight on the PR and update the operator with what’s happening. Basically the road has become a drag strip. There are idiots drag racing their bikes against each other, others doing wheelies and burnouts, all between HGVs and cars. Some of these riders were also wearing no lids. Utterly unbelievable!

16??- Again I updated control and they organise for several units to head down to assist dispersing them or deal if necessary. To the left is a turning down to a warehouse. We pull in out of the road and go to turn around and head out.

One of the riders with no lid rides past and stops in front of the car. Begins doing a burnout wheelie thing. I really have no idea how he managed it. I shouted out of the car “at least put a lid on, don’t be insane!”

He stops ahead of me and begins to rev the bike before launching toward the IRV. We slowly started to make our way out of the side turning as the traffic units began to arrive and disperse the bikers.

16??- We are relieved by traffic and head back to the nick. A lot of paper work to complete and I think we finished later than planned. Plenty of Intel found and submitted for future bike meets planned at the same location on their social media. Offer any assistance with the various reports and statements being completed by my colleagues, and we’re done.

1830- Car booked back in and de-kit for home.

Length of service: 12 months

Planned hours: 1400-2200

Location: Metropolitan Police Service

Type of shift: Borough action day

1200- Arrive at the nick and kit up early as I have some intel reports to add with a non-IPS officer that will be parading with me today. I also had to create a report for an incident I attended a few nights ago which wasn’t at the time deemed appropriate for a report, but a supervisor had decided it was. So all of that was completed and a clean slate ready for todays shift.

1400- There is a borough wide operation today, engaging with the public, attending pre-planned raids and operations. We travel by train from our station to the patrol base as the IRV I had reserved has been given away to a PCSO. Been told to return in an hour or so and it should be back.

1440- Arrive at the patrol base and find the Sgt and inspector running the ops, and they have no knowledge that we are assisting today. Great. Receive rushed tasking’s for the town centre, high visibility patrols as it is a well-known ASB and drugs hotspot. It is also very transient, a station for the mainline, underground line and several bus routes.

We head back to our station to get that vehicle as it will be handy if we are called to assist between our tasking.

1540- Arrive back, no such luck, someone else had nabbed they keys. Sgt is apologetic, but I explain not to worry as they obviously needed it more than we did. My colleague runs through what he need to gain toward IPS status. There is a busy junction controlled by traffic signals just by the nick as I decide we should spend some time here in high-vis and try to spot some traffic offences for him. Several minutes later we have a Luton tail van stopped as the driver was wearing no belt.

Shortly after the driver is dealt with, another motorist is stopped for the same offence. Most worryingly she stated that she was on the school run and was soon to have her kids in the car. Another FPN issued by my colleague and words of advice given regarding belting up.

1630- We are back on location in the town centre. Greet the NPT PCSOs that have a stall outside the rail station for the community engagement. They are helping with marking bikes, and offering burglary prevention advice.

We begin a slow foot patrol covering known hang out area that frequent drug users. Nobody in sight. This is beginning to look like a slow shift I think.

1700- *Emergency activation* It’s the PCSOs at the rail station, stating that a male has either been assaulted in the street or hit by a vehicle.

I call in my position after the broadcast and me and my colleague sprint the 500 metre distance we were at the time. Shouting for people to move the whole time, the pavements are full of commuters by this time.

1701- We arrive at the station, I can see the high-vis jackets in the road and make my way over. Im faced with a male laying in the middle of the road, hes still conscious at this point (thank god) but maybe not so… hes disorientated and keeps trying to sit up. While slipping on some gloves the PCSO begins to explain what he has managed to get out of the male so far. It appears he has been struck by the bus, which was stopped just behind us.

This all seems to roll into one as I obviously had quite a lot going on and it’s still a slight blur.

The remainder of the PCSOs were directed by myself to stop the traffic as buses and taxis were still trying to weave around us. We were pretty much in the middle of the two way carriageway.

I was now keeping the victim on the floor, he had a huge gash on the left side of his head. I was applying pressure directly to the wound with my hand while also controlling his head.

The operator was nagging for updates, so I explained to my colleague what I wanted and he broadcast everything perfectly. LAS were on route along with multiple units to handle the crowds which were now beginning to circle around us, and the traffic.

17??- Thankfully a dog unit responding to an ‘I grade’ nearby cancelled and diverted. He was the first on scene and came over with a substantial first aid kit. I was glad to have some experienced help. I run through what we already knew and what had been done so far. My colleague applied a bandage to the chaps head. I re applied pressure and kept on the hold. The dog officer then went through the chaps pockets looking for any ID as by now he was just rambling and not making any sense at all.

17??- Responding units began to arrive and relieved my colleague and the PCSOs. The response ambulance also arrived at this time and I gave the handover.

1715- LAS bus arrives. There are now hundreds of people on the pavements each side of the road with their camera phones out. I did not have time to notice, but apparently many were like this straight after this guy was hit by the bus.

He is being treated as life changing, the road is kept closed and the duty Inspector is on his way down.

1730- I find my colleague who with the assistance of a PC is now collecting accounts into a CARB from the bus driver and a witness of what happened. The driver stated that he was moving along the road, and another bus was approaching him in the other direction. Then all he saw was a figure sprinting across the road to beat both of the busses passing each other. Well obviously this guy wasn’t as fast as he thought, and is luck he didn’t get hit and go under the bus before it stopped. Luckily he bounced off the front and into the middle of the road.

1800- Victim is updated to be stable and no longer life threatening. The paramedic told us that he would of eventually bled out had we not quickly applied the pressure to the large wound on his head. The Insp gives the call to re-open the road and clear the scene. A rather large pool of clotted blood now all over the road, and is washed away by several bottles of water donated by the newsagent owner opposite. We speak to a few more PCs who attended before we leave and collect any further CARB booklets to put the report on. Another thankyou to the dog handler and we head back to our nick.

1840- Stop in and order a chicken shish kebab from the shop a few along from the nick and retire to dinner before putting the reports on for the day.

2000- One of our S/Sgts has dropped in to complete some admin, so we explain what we got involved with today. He congratulates us both on our hard work.

2100- Reports finished, and de-kit. Head home an hour early as we are both drained