UK Policing News

The pay bill of police officers and staff in England and Wales should be frozen to protect frontline services, business organisation the CBI has said. The recommendation - one of a series in a report on policing - would help maintain the fight on crime at a time of shrinking budgets, it says. The CBI also echoed suggestions in a government White Paper that savings could be made by pooling resources. The Police Federation questioned the group's expertise on police finances. Performance-related pay The government White Paper published last year said police should save £100m this year, rising to £545m annually by 2014. The police wage bill currently accounts for 8…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3859951.stm Firefighters lose equality case The FBU said the verdict was "a bitter blow to morale" Retained firefighters campaigning for the same employment rights as their full-time colleagues have lost their case at the Court of Appeal. The 12 men, six serving in Kent and six in Berkshire, had argued they should have equal pension and sick pay rights. An employment tribunal last August ruled the firefighters, on call for emergencies or peak periods, were not doing the same job as full-timers. Appeal Court judges upheld the verdict on Friday. No wonder there is a national shortage of 3,000 retained fire-fighters when your …

Up to 46 posts could be cut in the Metropolitan Police's finance department in a bid to save £2m, it has been revealed. An internal review of the force's financial services department said it was dysfunctional with too many staff and levels of management. The proposals aim to streamline the back-office operation. The Met has already proposed a raft of measures to address a yearly £255m budget deficit. Commenting on the latest plans, a police spokesman said: "The Met recognises the need to reduce costs and free resources for frontline policing. "Improved service" "As part of the Met's overall budget savings and to better improve our finance services for the orga…

A serving Hampshire Constabulary Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) has died after she was involved in a collision with a parked car. Beverley Lavery was off duty and out cycling in Portchester just after midday on Saturday April 3, when she was in collision with a silver Citroen Berlingo, which was parked in Portsview Avenue. The 45-year-old, who lived in the Portsmouth area, was riding a blue and white racing-style bike towards Paulsgrove at the time of the collision. She was taken to the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth and later transferred to the specialist neurology unit at Southampton General Hospital with serious head injuries. Unfortunately, Beverl…

The names of 45 criminals each ordered to repay £1million or more of their illegal profits to the taxpayer were published today. The rogue's gallery included captured VAT tax fraudsters, cigarette smugglers and class A drug traffickers. Among them were crime boss tax cheats Craig Johnson and Asad Chohan, who were ordered to pay back more than £54m between them. Johnson, 36, bought a Staffordshire stately home and amassed luxury cars, yachts and helicopters after taking part in a £138m mobile phone tax fraud. West Midlands gangster Chohan, 41, led an empire involved in VAT fraud, money laundering and tobacco smuggling. Others on the list included cocaine smuggler B…

A bank manager who stole around £300,000 from customers' accounts began a four-year jail term today. Jason Benham, 37, of Thetford, Norfolk, was imprisoned at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday after admitting fraud and deception, a spokeswoman for the Crown Prosecution Service said. Lawyers said Benham, manager of a Lloyds TSB branch in Mildenhall, Suffolk, siphoned money from the accounts of 48 customers - including relatives - over a four-year period. One of his victims was an 84-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s disease while another could not read or write. Sources at Lloyds TSB said the father-of-three left the bank prior to being sentenced. A spokeswoman said the…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8606255.stm Complaints about the police in England and Wales take too long to investigate, says a cross-party group of MPs. I agree, but for different reasons. The length of time taken over these complaints only puts added presure on the Officer that has had the complaint made against him/her.

Chilling CCTV images of two gunmen were released by detectives investigating the murder of a 21-year-old man today. Cem Duzgun died in a hail of bullets sprayed into a Turkish social club in Hackney, east London, last year. The young clothing store worker was playing pool with a friend when a gunman fired an Uzi-style machine gun from the doorway. Officers released two CCTV images from a grocery store camera of the two suspected gunmen walking calmly towards their target. Wanted: Met Police released CCTV images of two gunmen that were released by detectives investigating the murder of Cem Duzgun today One of the men, dressed in a blue hooded coat, can be seen carryi…

This is the terrifying moment a shopkeeper was left floored after being brutally battered over the head with a telescopic baton in revenge for trying to detain a robber. Debbie Kemp, 43, chased after three yobs after they robbed £1,000 cash and hundreds of cigarettes from her newsagent at 6.50pm last Thursday. Two of the raiders escaped and a shop assistant grabbed the third while Ms Kemp tried to lock the door from the inside. Newsagent worker Debbie Kemp was left sobbing in the aisle after she was hit on the head with a telescopic baton during a robbery Ms Kemp says the attack left her 'shocked' But before she could reach the door the thug's accomplices barge…

This is the terrifying moment a shopkeeper was left floored after being brutally battered over the head with a telescopic baton in revenge for trying to detain a robber. Debbie Kemp, 43, chased after three yobs after they robbed £1,000 cash and hundreds of cigarettes from her newsagent at 6.50pm last Thursday. Two of the raiders escaped and a shop assistant grabbed the third while Ms Kemp tried to lock the door from the inside. Newsagent worker Debbie Kemp was left sobbing in the aisle after she was hit on the head with a telescopic baton during a robbery Ms Kemp says the attack left her 'shocked' But before she could reach the door the thug's accomplices barge…

Interesting read, especially to those who are joining or are already part of West Midlands Police. http://www.west-midlands.police.uk/latest-...ase.asp?id=1678

Dozen hooligans jailed for total of 28 years Horrified parents were forced to shield their children as they fled a train while a mob of football hooligans punched, kicked and stamped on a group of rival fans on board. The yobs were savagely attacking rival football fans in what a judge called the worst case of mob violence he's seen have been jailed. The drunken group of Sheffield Wednesday supporters were caught on CCTV attacking a peaceful group of Leeds United fans returning from a day at the races, causing pandemonium on the York to Manchester TransPennine Service. The alcohol-fuelled Sheffield Wednesday supporters launch their attack on a group of rival fans…

When two thieves stole bottles of spirits from his store and made off on foot, shopkeeper Graham Taylor gave chase. As he saw them disappearing into a graveyard he spotted a police officer sitting in a patrol car and immediately sought his help. But he was left angry and bemused when the officer told him: ‘You had better call the police.‘ Angry: Shopkeeper Graham Taylor asked a passing PC for help as he trailed two alleged thieves - but was told to call the police And when he did call the police, the officers who were assigned to deal with the theft missed the radio call because they were celebrating at a colleague’s retirement party. Last night force bosses l…

MUNIR Hussain, the businessman jailed for attacking an intruder who was part of a gang which threatened his family at knifepoint, said this week: “The justice system has failed usâ€. He spoke after welcoming news that a ruling from the Crown Prosecution Service meant his nephew, Wahleed Hussain, would not have to face a retrial. A jury last September was unable to reach a verdict over a charge of grievous bodily harm with intent against 20-year-old Wahleed and he was due to be retried this month. Wahleed's two uncles, Munir and Tokeer, were jailed after being found guilty of the charge. Munir was released after having his sentence suspended following an appeal. On M…