Oops! PC takes 'unfit' drink-drive suspect's 156mph rally car - and crashes it through TWO gardens

• Patrolman wrote off rally car in late night spin
• He's fined £135 and gets four points on his licence

A police officer who wrote off a suspect drink-driver's high powered rally car and drove it into TWO gardens during a late night spin has been fined.

PC Mark Colebrook, 30, crashed the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution which was due to be towed away by a truck to a police compound in the early hours of September 3 last year.

But as he moved the car he lost control of 156-mph motor.

Write-off: The wreck of Matthew Ade's car is lifted from the garden where it ended up after the crash

Wreckage: The 156-mph Mitusbishi lies on its side as police arrange for its removal following their colleagues' late night spin in the car in Cheshire

During the impact, the Mitsubishi ploughed through the gardens of two luxury homes in Hale, Cheshire, fishtailed and flipped on to its side. 

The car's owner Matthew Ades, 23, only discovered his £14,000 pride and joy had been trashed after he appeared at a police station for failing a breath test.

PC Colebrook was originally charged with aggravated vehicle taking along with colleague Stuart Foy, 39, and the case was due to be heard at Crown Court last week.

But magistrates in Rochdale were told that the pair had been given permission to move the car by a sergeant who deemed the vehicle was in a dangerous position.

PC Stuart Foy (left) and PC Mark Colebrook. Both officers had minor injuries after the early morning crash

The Greater Manchester officers sustained minor injuries in the early morning crash at the junction of Hale Road and Rydal Drive.

The more serious charges were dropped as Colebrook, of Widnes, Cheshire, admitted careless driving, while no evidence was offered against Foy, of Sale, Manchester.

Colebrook and Foy had denied aggravated vehicle taking and causing up to £5,000 damage to a patio door, window, gate, trees and fencing.

Colebrook was fined £135, given four penalty points and ordered to pay £200 court costs.

The incident happened last autumn as owner Ades, a car salesman, was driving through the village of Hale Barns near Altrincham at 2am after drinking a bottle of Becks beer.

High performance: A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution which was a write off

Another police patrolman saw the Mitsubishi travelling at high speed and pulled Ades over.

Tests revealed he had 42 microgammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.

Ades was taken to Pendleton police station while his vehicle awaited a recovery truck. 

The two patrolman were said to have been asked to move the vehicle by a sergeant because it was in an unsafe place but it crashed further down the road.

Ades, a father of one, pleaded guilty to drink driving earlier this year and was fined £200 and ordered to pay a £75 victim surcharge.

He was also banned from driving for 12 months which can be reduced to nine months if he completes a driving course.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: 'The two officers concerned remain on restricted duties pending the outcome of an assessment by the GMP Professional Standards Branch that will determine whether or not they face internal disciplinary action.'

1st June 2011

Retired police officer, 87, to spend rest of his life in prison for sex attacks stretching across 45 years

Jailed: Bryan Davis is expected to spend the rest of his life behind bars

A retired police officer is expected to spend the rest of his life behind bars after committing a string of sickening sex crimes.

Bryan Davis, 87, was today jailed for 11 years after being found guilty of 20 historical offences including rape and indecent assault over a 45-year period.

The octogenarian, who retired as an Avon and Somerset police officer in 1976, had denied indecently assaulting two girls under the age of 14.

He also denied seven indecent assaults, six rapes and five further charges which took place between 1954 and 1998.

But the jury unanimously found him guilty of 19 charges and guilty of a remaining indecent assault.

Judge Darwall-Smith jailed Davis for 11 years at the sentencing at Bristol Crown Court.

Avon and Somerset Police welcomed the sentence and praised his victims for coming forward.

Superintendent Sarah Crew said: 'Bryan Davis believed he had got away with these crimes, which have left his victims with scars for a number of years.

'Having committed the offences over a period of 40 years, his victims had the courage to come forward and speak to specialist detectives who placed him before the courts.

'The sentence passed today is welcomed and I hope that it brings some comfort to his victims.'

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson added: 'The successful prosecution of Bryan Davis illustrates that however long ago crimes like this were committed, the police and Crown Prosecution Service will work together to ensure offenders are brought to justice.'

1st June 2011

Avon and Somerset former Pc jailed for child sex abuse

A former Avon and Somerset Police officer has been jailed for 11 years after being convicted of 20 sex offences against children.

Bryan Davis, 87, of Gilslake Avenue, Brentry, Bristol, was accused of sexual assault charges, including six of rape.

One of Davis's victims was aged 13 when the abuse took place.

"The sentence passed today is welcomed and I hope that it brings some comfort to his victims," said Supt Sarah Crew, from Avon and Somerset Police. 

Bryan Davis abused and raped girls between 1954 and 1998

"Having committed the offences over a period of 40 years, his victims had the courage to come forward and speak to specialist detectives who placed him before the courts.

Davis retired as a police officer in 1976.

The court heard how he had abused and raped girls between 1954 and 1998. 

Davis was charged with 11 counts of indecent assault on a female; six charges of rape; and three of gross indecency with a female child.

He was found guilty by a jury following a trial in April.

1 June 2011 

Local Freedom of Information campaigner shares full archive of recent police questions and answers

Police vans at the RBS headquarters in Edinburgh during 2010's Climate Camp | pic: Michael MacLeod

Edinburgh's local police force has made another full month's worth of Freedom of Information answers available online. 

The large data dump includes crime logs for local schools, registered sex offender records and details of police sickness and misconduct proceedings. 

The information was obtained by citizen journalist Michael Traill, a council worker from Portobello. Read more about him here. He says on his blog:

"One change that I think should be made to FOISA (the Freedom of Information Scotland Act) is that everybody that is subject to the act must provide an online archive of its responses to requests for information.
"I firmly believe there is a public interest in all responses being made available to everyone."

Traill is often contacted by news reporters asking him for comment on background on the facts he uncovers. His investigations often lead to national news stories. 

He was first to report that last year's Climate Camp protests in Edinburgh cost police £650,000. We linked to the information he got for February in this post. 

You can download the information for March at this link. As Traill points out, it's a big document. 

Thursday 5 May 2011

Act calling authorities to account

GRAHAM Smith, director of freedom of information at the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), explains how the Act is making public authorities more accountable: Since the Freedom of Information Act came into force in January 2005 interest in how public authorities operate has been on an upward spiral, and the relationship between people in the UK and the public authorities that serve them has transformed. 

Public authorities are now more accountable for how taxpayers’ money is spent. 

Thanks to the Act the public has found out all sorts of interesting and useful information, ranging from the costs of major transport projects, such as the second runway at Stansted Airport, to more local issues such as the amount of fines raised from speed cameras in their area. 

The Freedom of Information Act gives you the right to access official information held by any public body; national or local. 

This includes government departments, local authorities; schools and colleges, NHS trusts, GPs and dentists, as well as police forces. 

To find out more about the Act, visit the ICO website at ico.gov.uk. The website includes information on how to make an FOI request and what you should expect once this has been done. 

Tuesday 31st May 2011

Secret police

 
The Oxford Mail used an FOI request to discover only about three crimes for every 1,000 reported to police were released to the public. 

A four-week study, in 2008, showed police released information or appealed for witnesses 22 times when they were called 6,636 times about crime – 0.3 per cent. 

The investigation showed there were reports of 49 robberies, 41 sexual offences, 310 burglaries and 452 violent incidents. 

But when the Oxford Mail asked for details, Thames Valley Police refused to give any further information. 

Inside job  - In 2006, an FOI request revealed thousands of pounds worth of personal belongings had been stolen from police stations and police vehicles in Oxfordshire. 

And, although the files did not list the police stations where the thefts occurred, it did reveal that some were “inside jobs” – thefts from fellow police officers and staff. 

Among the items stolen were wallets, credit cards, cheque books, mobile phones, cash, cameras, clothing and a personal organiser. 

Tuesday 31st May 2011

Report calls for shake-up of the Met

 London Assembly highlights scope for savings and need for clarity about what comprises frontline policing

Fundamental reform of the Metropolitan police is needed, as incremental efficiency improvements will no longer be sufficient in make the huge savings needed, according to the London Assembly.

In a report published by the budget and performance committee, the mayor of London has been urged to make the scale of changes needed clear to the public. The report found that not enough is being done to define what is meant by 'frontline' policing and said the public will be confident in the Met's ability to deliver high level services with reduced resources only if the mayor clearly communicates his commitment to prioritising policing activities.

The committee found that officer numbers are not an accurate measure of the Met's performance. Its chair, John Biggs, said he wants to see the debate move on to "more sophisticated ground" and called for the Operational Policing Measure, a tool for categorising the Met's workforce based on roles officers and staff perform, to be used instead.

Another key finding in the report was the need for more civilian staff to be employed in support roles. The committee recognised that this will not always be possible, but said there is scope for savings to be made by employing civilians with specific professional skills for specialist support roles.

The committee also highlighted the scope for savings in specialist units, which it says have grown in a piecemeal and inefficient way. It called for a greater balance between specialist units and regular policing and for more units to share common functions.

The committee also said the Met should make greater use of technology to improve productivity and highlighted the successful use of handheld computers in the Chicago police.

Wednesday 1 June 2011 

Police 'screen out' crimes that are too hard to solve

Police are "screening out" at least one in three crimes after deciding there is little chance of solving them.

West Yorkshire Police took no further action after initial contact in almost 90,000 offences last year - 45 per cent of all crimes Photo: PA

By Tom Whitehead, Home Affairs Editor

6:36AM BST 01 Jun 2011

Hundreds of thousands of offences are being marked down as requiring “no further investigation”, including even sexual assaults and other violent attacks.

The Metropolitan Police alone screened out 361,180 incidents last year – more than four in ten of all offences reported.

Figures yesterday showed police in Devon and Cornwall elected to take no further action in more than 30,000 crimes in 2010 – some 35 per cent of recorded offences.

And West Yorkshire Police took no further action after initial contact in almost 90,000 offences last year – 45 per cent of all crimes.

While the reported offences are included in official crime statistics it means no concerted effort is made to investigate further, mainly because officers believe the culprit will not be found. 

One MP last night warned crimes are being “consigned to oblivion” and questioned whether police were too ready to write off investigations in order to ease already stretched resources.

Devon and Cornwall police ruled there were little chance of solving 30,511 offences last year, a 12 per cent rise in two years.

It meant around 35 per cent of the 87,095 crimes recorded by the force were logged as “not for further investigation' after one initial assessment, according to a Freedom of Information request.

Crimes disregarded included 362 sexual offences – or one in five – 1,000 assaults, more than 10,000 incidents of criminal damage and more than 3,000 thefts from vehicles.

Geoffrey Cox, the Tory MP for Torridge and West Devon MP Geoffrey Cox said it was a concern that such an "exceedingly large number of crimes are consigned to oblivion at a stage where no investigation has been conducted at all".

He warned there was "a victim behind every figure", and he had particular concerns over the rate of sex offences that had been ignored.

"It is a clearly common complaint from constituents that the police tell them there is no practical point in any investigation,” he said.

"It always leaves people with a sense of helplessness and frustration, and doesn't do the reputation of the police or the criminal justice system as a whole any good.

"I hope the police are scrutinising these cases to ensure that they are being properly categorised, because there is nothing more frustrating for a member of the public to be told that the police aren't even bothering to investigate their complaint.

"It does beg the question whether in borderline cases, particularly at a time of financial constraint, the police are devoting the necessary time and effort to assess whether there could be a favourable outcome."

In its Freedom of Information Act response, the force said: "Investigation of a reported crime starts immediately within our call handling centre.

"Those crimes, where there is viable potential for a positive outcome will be allocated for further investigation.

"Where there is little potential for such an outcome, victims will be informed at the earliest opportunity and offered crime prevention advice and the services of Victim Support."

At the beginning of the month Devon and Cornwall Chief Constable Stephen Otter announced there were plans to cut 700 police officers from the forces total of 3,500 as part of £47m of savings over four years.

Figures from Scotland Yard show officers “screened out” 361,180 incidents last year – 43 per cent of the 824,495 reported.

They included 20,443 violent crimes, including 61 attacks with offensive weapons, 236 sexual offences and 5,420 robberies.

A Met spokesman insisted all serious sex and violent offences would be investigated further while other crimes would be initially screened to see if they are "considered to be detectable or potentially detectable".

West Yorkshire Police filed 89,774 crimes as “at first contact” last year – some 45 per cent of 197,096.

The force insisted it does not “screen in or screen out” crimes and all reported offences undergo an initial assessment to establish the evidence in relation to the allegation.

Figures in 2009 showed a total of 1.5 million crimes were screened out by police around England and Wales, the equivalent of one in three.

Hale suspect car crash officers await internal inquiry

A police officer fined £135 for crashing a high-performance car seized from a drink-driver remains at the centre of an internal force inquiry.

 

Pc Mark Colebrook, from Widnes, drove a Mitsubishi Lancer which careered into the gardens of two houses in Hale, Greater Manchester, in September 2010.

The 30-year-old and his colleague, Pc Stuart Foy, initially faced charges of aggravated vehicle taking.

Pc Mark Colebrook admitted careless driving at Rochdale magistrates' court

But those charges were dropped after Pc Colebrook admitted careless driving.

As well as the fine, the officer had his driving licence endorsed with four penalty points and was ordered to pay £200 costs.

Car overturned
 

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided not to pursue the other charges against the pair, who both work for Greater Manchester Police (GMP).

Both officers are still awaiting the results of an internal inquiry into the incident.

"The two officers concerned remain on restricted duties pending the outcome of an assessment by the GMP Professional Standards Branch that will determine whether or not they will face internal disciplinary action," said a force spokesman.

The officers had stopped the vehicle after watching it being driven erratically on Hale Road at about 0215 BST on 3 September.

Both were later found inside the car after overturned at the junction of Hale Road and Rydal Drive in the early hours of 3 September.

31 May 2011

Rogue police officers using force computers to spy on people

ROGUE police officers are using force computers to spy on loved ones.

More than 50 officers at West Midlands Police were punished between 2005 and 2010 for snooping on people. They were sacked, fined, demoted or given written warnings.

But of the nine cases at ­Staffordshire Police in the past year, most were dealt with by an apology, freedom of information figures show.

West Midlands Police said yesterday: “The fact that these ­incidents have been investigated shows we have a robust policy on information management.”

31/05/2011

Police officer sacked for 'inappropriate relationship' with girl, 14

A Scotland Yard officer, Robert Nicholson, was said to have exchanged hundreds of text messages with a vulnerable teenage girl. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

A Scotland Yard officer has been sacked over an "inappropriate relationship" with a vulnerable 14-year-old girl.

PC Robert Nicholson was fired after a misconduct hearing was told he targeted the girl – who lived in a care home – via Facebook and text after she was arrested, said the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) disciplinary panel.

Deborah Glass, the IPCC commissioner for London, said: "The girl told us that she trusted this man because he was a police officer.

"We expect the police to protect us and our families, yet PC Nicholson's actions were, from the outset, a disgraceful abuse of his position."

Nicholson first came into contact with the girl in October 2009 at Bethnal Green police station, where he was working as a custody officer when she was brought into the custody suite.

The officer asked for her phone number and the next day sent 17 text messages. Phone and Facebook records showed the communications developed sexual elements, the disciplinary panel heard.

The relationship came to light in December 2009 after the girl was reported missing from her care home.

Nicholson, who was 27 at the time and based in east London, was arrested before the matter was referred to the IPCC.

Evidence showed the pair exchanged hundreds of messages and regularly spoke by phone before Nicholson drove from his home in Colchester to meet her in Romford.

Glass added: "Although he met the girl while she was in police custody, and there can be little doubt he knew her age and vulnerability, he exploited his position as a police officer to pursue her sexually.

"I am glad he is now no longer in a position to do this to anyone else.

"The IPCC's investigator and the investigating officer from the Metropolitan police worked together to gain the trust of the girl and her family, and I would like to pay tribute to them for their courage."

The panel heard that a few days before the Romford meeting, Nicholson failed to act when he became aware of a planned trip by the girl and a friend to Southend to meet another significantly older man.

During their relationship Nicholson used police databases to access records on the girl, which would have further highlighted her age and vulnerability, the watchdog said.

Tuesday 31 May 2011

Wrong plaice! Policewoman caught parking in a bus stop as she fetches cod and chips

A policewoman has been reprimanded after parking her squad car in a bus stop space as she went to buy fish and chips.

The unnamed officer - whose force have a zero-tolerance campaign against bad driving habits - was captured by angry motorist Chris Leigh in Bournemouth.

Dorset police handed out 1,073 fixed penalty notices to motorists in April for offences ranging from wearing no seatbelt to using a mobile phone at the wheel.

Illegal: A police car can be seen parked on red tarmac - where buses should stop - as she collects her fish and chips

 

Indeed, just days after 34-year-old Mr Leigh took the picture he was himself fined £35 after momentarily leaving his car on a verge while he loaded it outside his home.

He has now accused the force of double standards, claiming: 'It's one rule for them and another one for us.' 

Businessman Mr Leigh said police often park at the bus stop - clearly marked with bright red tarmac - opposite his computer and TV repair shop in Bournemouth, to visit the chip shop, which is just a short walk from the local police station.

Caught: The police officer has been identified and reprimanded for the hypocritical parking

 

He continued: 'The police often park in the bus stop to get fish and chips which is something anybody else could get a ticket for.

'Just days after this picture was taken I got a ticket outside my home. I was moving house and was shifting cars around to load them.

'I put one car on the verge for a short time and got a £35-fine. I'm not arguing against it, but the police should not be above the law.

'But they often park at the chip shop opposite my business even though it is just a short walk from the police station.

'It makes me angry that there appears to be one law for us and another law for them.

'However, since I've raised this issue I've noticed that the police have started to walk to the chip shop.' 

Inspector Chris Weeks, of Bournemouth police, said the offending officer had been identified and disciplined.

He said: 'At the time this picture was taken Dorset police were not responding to an emergency at this location.

'Dorset police do not condone this breach in parking regulations.

'I have identified the individual officer responsible and given them formal words of advice.

'It provides an obvious reminder to all officers that our behaviour is under constant scrutiny and as such we must be professional and beyond reproach at all times.

'There is not one rule for the police and another rule for the public.'

30th May 2011

Police "lifestyle" guide condemned as waste of money

By Lauren Pyrah

A CAMPAIGN group has condemned a “lifestyle guide” issued to police officers suggesting bedtime routines and healthy eating options, describing it as a pointless waste of money. 

The guides issued by Durham Police suggest officers help partners with the housework, advise that too much liquid before bedtime will increase the need for sleep-disrupting bathroom trips, and gives recommendations on the best sandwich fillings. 

About half of UK forces said in a survey they have issued similar guides, which they say aim to ensure the health and wellbeing of officers. 

But critics have dismissed the guides as a waste of taxpayers’ money and an example of the “nanny state”. 

The guide tells officers “not to expect your wife to do the chores” and to “make dates with your spouse”. 

It also advises on healthy eating, suggesting officers bring sandwiches to work with fillings including peanut butter with grated apple, and tuna and sweetcorn, and recommends snacks such as flapjack, nuts and boiled eggs. 

The guide tells staff: “If you make sandwiches the night before, wrap them up and keep them in the fridge.” 

It also includes a 16-page shift survival guide, which reminds staff of the need to have outside hobbies and relaxation time. 

It proposes a bedtime routine, such as a hot bath followed by reading or listening to music, and adds: “Ensure your mattress and pillows are comfortable and supportive.” 

It says: “Try to restrict fluids to prevent visits to the bathroom, although it has to be acknowledged that some people like to have a milky drink prior to bedtime to help soothe them.” 

Last night, campaign group the TaxPayers’ Alliance told The Northern Echo much of the guide was simply common sense – something police officers had in abundance. 

Charlotte Linacre, campaign manager at the pressure group, said: “These guides are ridiculous. Coppers don’t need the nanny state tucking them in at night. 

“Police officers use common sense to make decisions in their job, they evidently don’t need advice from back office bureaucrats on whether to take a bath or have a cup of cocoa.” 

But a spokesman for Durham Police said: “Our officers and staff are our greatest asset and, as such, we have a responsibility to protect them and promote their wellbeing. 

“It makes good sense to provide staff with advice and support to enable them to function effectively while maintaining a good work-life balance 

Monday 30th May 2011

Lancashire Police given customer service lessons at M&S

POLICE have been sent to work in Marks and Spencer to learn about good customer service.

As part of Lancashire Police’s internal campaign to improve the way they deal with the public, force chiefs sent police into private businesses known for good customer care. 

It emerged at a meeting of the Lancashire Police Authority that officers had been seconded to companies including the high street store and car firm Mercedes. 

The branch locations have not been revealed. 

Chief Constable Steve Finnigan said: “The one thing I want Lancashire Constabulary to be renowned for is quality. That’s our policing style.” 

The unusual move was the brainchild of temporary Assistant Chief Constable Andy Rhodes, who led a six-week Beyond Expectations campaign. 

It was set up in response to concerns over officers’ rudeness and the way the public felt they were treated by the police. 

A year ago, Mr Finnigan called on his colleagues to adopt a ‘customer-service ethos’ and that staff should be ‘going the extra mile in attitude and behaviour’. 

Posters sprung up around police stations encouraging officers to ‘treat people as you would wish to be treated yourselves’. 

They were asked: “Have you gone beyond expectations today?” 

It was revealed incivility and timeliness made up 30 per cent of complaints about the force, but the Lancashire Police Federation, which represents officers, said its members were ‘exhausted’ by campaigns and labelled it ‘like teaching granny to suck eggs’. 

April figures revealed at Wednesday’s meeting showed year on year improvements for ease of contact, action taken, treatment, follow-up and experience. 

But with one in four people who dealt with police not happy with the follow-up, Mr Finnigan admitted: “It is the Achilles heel for every force in the country.” 

He said: “I’m confident in the next three months we’ll see improvements.” 

Friday 27th May 2011

Police sent to Marks & Spencer to learn customer care

POLICE officers have been sent to work at Marks & Spencer as shop assistants – to learn how to be polite.

It follows complaints about rudeness when officers are dealing with the public.

Lancashire Police Chief Constable Steve Finnigan has already had posters put up telling staff to “treat people as you would wish to be treated”.

He said: “I want Lancashire Constabulary to be renowned for quality.”

But the Police Federation, which represents officers, said it was “like teaching granny to suck eggs”.

28.05.2011

Girl risks her life to rescue woman from hoodies - as police sit in their car and do nothing

A young woman told yesterday how she risked her life to stop a street robbery – while two police officers sat in their patrol car a few yards away.

Marie Wastlund, 27, was walking home from a night out when she saw three hooded thugs throttling and kicking a woman in view of the police vehicle.

The student waved and shouted to get the attention of the officers – parked only  25 yards away – but they did nothing.

Brave: Marie risked her life to stop a brutal street robbery while two police officers sat in their patrol car just yards away

So she waded in herself and pulled the thugs away from their victim by their hoods – at which point they fled. Astonishingly, she then had to dial 999 to summon police help and sat cradling the distraught victim in her arms for ten minutes.

At one point the two officers got out of their car but, apparently not noticing what was going on, they got back in again.

In fact, the pair only ventured out to investigate the incident when Miss Wastlund’s friend arrived and rushed over to their car and knocked on the window.

Even if the officers didn’t initially see what was happening, it was claimed they should have been alert enough to cotton on to an attack that went on for several minutes so close to their car.

Avon and Somerset Constabulary yesterday pledged a full investigation into the incident in the St Paul’s area of Bristol. ‘I was waving and shouting at them to come and help,’ said Miss Wastlund. ‘It was pretty clear something was going on in the road – anyone with half a brain could have seen something was happening.

‘They should have done something. It’s disgusting – they are paid to protect people.

‘It could have been me being attacked. It’s a scary thought that police were so close to the incident and did nothing.’

Miss Wastlund came across the robbery at 5am after a night out at a

street festival. She saw two youths and one woman beating the victim who was on the ground at the side of a road. After Miss Wastlund’s screams for help went unnoticed, she grappled with the gang – all of them white and in their 20s.

One of them told her the woman owed them money before running off with a small amount of her cash.

Miss Wastlund, who lives in Bristol city centre, said: ‘I realised there was no point running after them. I didn’t want to put myself in any more danger.

‘I suddenly realised that I could have been stabbed or something in trying to protect the woman. I went back to her and tried to calm her down and called the police.’ 

Miss Wastlund added: ‘After the gang fled I was on the floor with the victim for about ten minutes. She was crying and I was cradling her. She was in a dreadful state. 

‘I couldn’t leave her to run to the police car so I dialled 999. I told them to get on the radio to that squad car straight away.

‘They did get out of the car at one point – but didn’t come over. They had probably gone off to get doughnuts or something.’

Her friend, who had also been at the festival, walked by and came over to help. ‘It was only when my friend came over that I told her to go and get them.’

The police car was parked facing away from the assault but Miss Wastlund insists officers must have seen her in their mirrors or heard her screams for help.

She said: ‘There was nothing but road between the attack and the car. They were only about 25 yards away. When they finally did get out they said they had not seen anything. They are paid to be aware and look out for trouble.’

The two officers then spoke to Miss Wastlund and her friend, who asked not to be identified, before taking the victim, 29, to hospital.

Avon and Somerset police confirmed it was investigating the assault and robbery and the police reaction to the incident. 

Superintendent Ian Wylie said: ‘I am grateful to the witness for reporting the incident and bringing to our attention her concerns about a police car nearby. We take allegations such as these very seriously.’ 

WHEN OFFICERS' SAFETY CAME FIRST

It is not the first time police have been accused of standing by and doing nothing.

Two Police Community Support Officers refused to jump into a pond and save a ten-year-old boy because they were ‘not trained’ to deal with such an incident. 

The PCSOs stood by the pond near Wigan in 2007 as Jordon Lyon got into trouble while trying to rescue his step-sister Bethany Ganderton, eight.

Two fishermen in their 60s jumped in and rescued the girl, but the officers decided to wait until colleagues arrived, by which time it was too late. In June 2004, police held back for more than a hour after a man shot dead his estranged wife and her sister and seriously injured their mother.

Neighbours in Highmoor Cross, Oxfordshire, rushed in to give first aid and after 22 minutes it was reasonably clear that the killer had fled.

Thames Valley police later concluded the sister, Emma Walton, might have lived if officers had gone in sooner. 

They were criticised for their ‘overly cautious approach’.

28th May 2011

'An abuse of taxpayers' money': £180,000 pay-off for Scotland Yard police chief at centre of misconduct investigation

A leading Scotland Yard official under investigation over ‘highly sensitive’ misconduct allegations made by a female colleague has retired early with a £180,000 pay-off.

Critics claim that Martin Tiplady, the Met’s director of human resources, has been given favourable treatment because of his status in the force.

They say the payout is an ‘abuse’ of taxpayers’ money.

Honour: Martin Tiplady receives an OBE from Queen last year

As well as a year’s salary, the  58-year-old married father of two will be eligible for a pension of £15,000 a year for his nine years service at the Met.

The Daily Mail revealed in  October that Mr Tiplady was  facing career-threatening allegations made by Raphaella Hamilton-Appiah, a member of staff more than 20 years his junior.

Until last year, the pair had been close friends.

But for reasons which are still not clear, relations soured and she made a formal complaint about his conduct.

Staff said her claims were treated ‘very seriously’,  prompting an investigation by a provincial police force. Former colleagues say Mr Tiplady was ‘devastated’ by the accusations.

Martin Tiplady was the director of human resources at Scotland Yard for nine years

Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson said: ‘Martin Tiplady, our director of human resources for the past nine years, has taken the decision to retire.

‘During that period he has  made a very significant contribution to the work of the Metropolitan Police’.

Mr Tiplady, who was last year awarded an OBE for services to policing, won a series of accolades for his efforts to boost ethnic minority recruitment in the force.

He sat on Sir Paul’s management board, which oversees the running of the Met.

Yesterday he said he had no comment to make about whether he had left the force under a cloud, the misconduct allegations or his bumper pay-out.

Scotland Yard refused to discuss his pay-off.

27th May 2011

Two unmarked police cars clamped as surveillance officers sat INSIDE...

Two police cars were clamped while royal protection officers sat inside during a visit by the Queen, police said yesterday.

The incident happened when the Queen made an unannounced visit to Portsmouth to have lunch on a luxury yacht on Wednesday.

The officers were sitting in their unmarked cars in private residents’ spaces at the Gunwharf Quays marina retail complex.

Oblivious: The Queen during her unannounced visit to Portsmouth where she had lunch with Sir Donald Gosling on his yacht the Leander

The clamper, Gareth Andrews, 37, of Fareham, Hampshire, was arrested and charged with wilfully obstructing a police constable in the execution of his duty.

He was also charged with contravening the Private Security Industry Act by not displaying the appropriate licensing badge.

A Hampshire police spokesman said: ‘Mr Andrews clamped two unmarked police vehicles preventing the officers, who were at Gunwharf as part of a security operation, from conducting their duties. The officers had not left the vehicles at the time they were clamped.’

It is understood that the Queen had arranged to have lunch with NCP car park boss Sir Donald Gosling on his 245ft yacht, Leander. She arrived in Southsea by helicopter and was taken in a green Range Rover to Gunwharf Quays.

Shoppers were taken by surprise when word spread that she was at the centre but a small crowd gathered to greet her.

Andrews, who works for Shoal Enforcement, will appear at South and South East Hampshire Magistrates’ Court in Portsmouth next Friday.

Mike Eames, managing director of the parking enforcement company, denied the officers were in the cars when they were clamped.

‘A member of our staff immobilised two cars parked in private residents’ bays,’ he said. ‘A plainclothes police officer produced his warrant card and requested that both vehicles be released.

‘Our member of staff confirmed he would release the vehicles if the officer would provide confirmation that he was on duty. The officer declined and arrested our member of staff.

‘At no time did the police officer identify himself as a royal protection officer or make any mention of the Queen’s visit.

‘There were no officers in the vehicles during the incident and our member of staff was correctly displaying his licence.’

Out of action: The two unmarked police vehicles were clamped while officers sat behind the wheel (File photo)

27th May 2011