UK Policing News

Officers held in pub disturbance Two off-duty police officers were arrested after a disturbance at a County Durham pub, it has emerged. The men, from Cumbria Constabulary, were taken into custody following the incident at the Bishop's Mill in Walkergate, Durham, on Thursday. They were held on suspicion of public order offences and later bailed. A spokesman for Durham Police said the Cumbria force had been made aware of the incident and was assisting with the investigation. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8349118.stm

THE uniforms of police community support officers in Devon and Cornwall are to be modified – to end being confused with police officers, writes WMN chief reporter Andy Greenwood. The civilian role caused major controversy when it was introduced by former Home Secretary David Blunkett in 2002 with critics labelling them "plastic policemen" and their appointment as "policing on the cheap". Many believed the uniforms issued to the PCSOs were deliberately close to those of front-line officers to fool the public into thinking there were more police on the streets. After pressure from the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, Devon and Cornwall Police…

Source: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/new..._light_district Policeman ignored radio calls while cruising red light district Pete Bainbridge November 04, 2009 A POLICE officer ignored radio calls for help from his colleagues - because he was cruising a red light district. Pc Robert Bowen, a married patrol officer in north Manchester, was called to break up a fight in the city centre but was 'far too interested' in patrolling Piccadilly station area, a court heard. Bowen, an officer for 26 years, had developed an unhealthy interest in sex workers, Warrington Crown Court was told. There was no suggestion at any stage that Bowen, from Rochdale, was using pros…

Error over 300 speeding tickets Police began speed checks on the road in March 2009 North Wales Police are in the process of writing to around 300 drivers who were given speeding tickets in error. It followed the discovery that a mistake was made over speed limits on a stretch of road near Bala, Gwynedd. It was understood that the B4391 near the town's industrial estate had been reclassified to a 30mph zone in 1993. But following inquiries from a member of the public, it emerged that the regulation had not been made - and the limit was still officially 40mph. All the speeding tickets date from 1 March this year, when a mobile speed camera unit began operations…

Renata Vas, 22, one of six people jailed at Manchester Crown Court for sex trafficking <H3 class=headline>Sex trafficking gang is jailed</H3>November 06, 2009 A GANG who trafficked a woman from Romania to work the streets of Manchester as a prostitute has been jailed. The migrant workers lured their victim - a single mum in her twenties - to the UK after their building work dried up because of the credit crunch. They promised the woman she could earn money as a dancer but forced her to have sex with up to ten men a night in Manchester's red light districts. She finally escaped their clutches when she appealed to one of her 'punters' and he helped her …

This lovely pair were caught on CCTV allegedly stealing a poppy appeal tin: Nice.

Police are to examine social networking sites on the internet as part of investigations into the murder of a mother-of-nine from Cornwall. Mary Fox, 59, died in a fire after a firework was put through the front door of her home on Wallace Road, Bodmin. Devon and Cornwall Police said there had been speculation about identities of the culprits being posted on the web and names were being "bandied about". Insp Matt Longman said websites would be examined as part of the inquiry. "In an incident like this we will use social networking sites to progress our inquiries," he said. "Anything that comes to light we will follow up but we cannot say there is anything specific…

A search is ongoing for two teenagers who have been reported missing overnight in Glasgow. Reece Allen, 15, and 19-year-old Kelvin Conway were last seen in Morion Road, Knightswood, at about 1900 GMT on Saturday. It is understood the youths both have learning difficulties and have never been missing before. A search is ongoing for two teenagers who have been reported missing overnight in Glasgow. Reece Allen, 15, and 19-year-old Kelvin Conway were last seen in Morion Road, Knightswood, at about 1900 GMT on Saturday. It is understood the youths both have learning difficulties and have never been missing before. The Strathclyde force said a police helicopter and o…

Renata Vas, 22, one of six people jailed at Manchester Crown Court for sex trafficking View gallery (total of 6 images) advertisementSex trafficking gang is jailed November 06, 2009 A GANG who trafficked a woman from Romania to work the streets of Manchester as a prostitute has been jailed. The migrant workers lured their victim - a single mum in her twenties - to the UK after their building work dried up because of the credit crunch. They promised the woman she could earn money as a dancer but forced her to have sex with up to ten men a night in Manchester's red light districts. She finally escaped their clutches when she appealed to one of her 'punters' and …

<H1 id=heading-alone>Call for elected police chiefs</H1> Digg it Press Association, Saturday November 7 2009 Every town should have an elected police commissioner responsible for meeting the needs of local people, a think tank said. Direct public accountability would deliver a radical shift in how our neighbourhoods are made safe, a report by Policy Exchange said. The study, Partners in Crime, said a commissioner should be elected to represent each smallest policing area, known as a basic command unit. It also recommended the abolition of police authorities because few people know who they are or what they do. Natalie Evans, of the Policy Exchange …

Nursery abuse parents get choice George is now due to be sentenced next month Parents whose children may have been abused by nursery worker Vanessa George will be allowed to choose to find out if they were victims, a judge has said. George, 39, abused children at Little Ted's Nursery in Plymouth, Devon, and made a string of indecent images. Last week it emerged she had passed on some victims' names to her lawyer. Sentencing of George and co-defendants Angela Allen, of Nottingham, and Colin Blanchard, of Rochdale, has been put back for more material to be gathered. If they don't want to know, and I fully understand why some parents should not want to know, th…

Source: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/new..._light_district Policeman ignored radio calls while cruising red light district Pete Bainbridge November 04, 2009 A POLICE officer ignored radio calls for help from his colleagues - because he was cruising a red light district. Pc Robert Bowen, a married patrol officer in north Manchester, was called to break up a fight in the city centre but was 'far too interested' in patrolling Piccadilly station area, a court heard. Bowen, an officer for 26 years, had developed an unhealthy interest in sex workers, Warrington Crown Court was told. There was no suggestion at any stage that Bowen, from Rochdale, was using pros…

Muggers attack two-year-old girl Police described the attack as a "frightening experience" for the victims A two-year-old girl was punched in the head by two teenage girls during an attempted robbery in north-west London. The girl was with her mother when the pair were targeted by two female suspects in Preston Road, Wembley, at about 1645 GMT on Thursday. They demanded money from the mother before punching her in the arm and attacking her daughter. The attackers are described as being of Mediterranean appearance and aged between 14 and 18. "Although the victim and her daughter do not have any visible injuries, this was a frightening experience for them," said…

Cannabis plants worth more than £1 million have been seized by police in one of the biggest finds of the drug in Essex. £1m worth of cannabis plants seized Officers found more than 5,000 plants "under cultivation" when they raided a warehouse in the Theydon Bois area on Friday, an Essex Police spokesman said. A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicious of cultivating cannabis and is being questioned by officers at Harlow Police station