Police dropping people off in the middle of nowhere?
Discussion
Was listening to one of the young lads from my office telling the funny story of his weekend camping in Wales, but feel the need to query the legality of one aspect of his story.
Long story short: He's a Scouser, and he went camping to the Welsh coast with about 7 of his mates for a weekend piss up. On the Saturday night, the caught a train from where they were staying into a town so they could go to a nightclub.
After midnight, whilst in the town, one of them got into a slight scrap with a local, and the 7 of them were rounded up by the Police and it was suggested that they leave the town to avoid getting into any more trouble.
The lads agreed, and the police asked them where they were staying, and the name and location of the campsite was given, and the police told them to all get into two police cars and they would drive them back to their campsite to make sure they got back there.
They didn't drive them back to the campsite at all. They drove them out into the middle of nowhere and cheerfully announced "you're here" and of course being drunk and totally unfamiliar of the area, the lads just got out and the police drove off.
Luckily one of them still had some battery left on their phone and they could look on google maps to find out which direction they need to walk, but it took them almost 2 hours of brisk walking to get back to their campsite.
Now part of me finds this quite an amusing punishment dished out by the police, and it serves them right for getting plastered and brawling with the locals, but the Health and Safety side of me is slightly suprised that the police would do this considering the potential harm that could come to a load of people who were drunk, totally unfamiliar with an area, and left to stagger for nearly two hours at 2-4am on country lanes.
As the story was being told, another guy in the office burst out laughing as the same had apparently been done to him years ago by the police, but in a different part of the country. So it seems not uncommon?
Any thoughts?
Long story short: He's a Scouser, and he went camping to the Welsh coast with about 7 of his mates for a weekend piss up. On the Saturday night, the caught a train from where they were staying into a town so they could go to a nightclub.
After midnight, whilst in the town, one of them got into a slight scrap with a local, and the 7 of them were rounded up by the Police and it was suggested that they leave the town to avoid getting into any more trouble.
The lads agreed, and the police asked them where they were staying, and the name and location of the campsite was given, and the police told them to all get into two police cars and they would drive them back to their campsite to make sure they got back there.
They didn't drive them back to the campsite at all. They drove them out into the middle of nowhere and cheerfully announced "you're here" and of course being drunk and totally unfamiliar of the area, the lads just got out and the police drove off.
Luckily one of them still had some battery left on their phone and they could look on google maps to find out which direction they need to walk, but it took them almost 2 hours of brisk walking to get back to their campsite.
Now part of me finds this quite an amusing punishment dished out by the police, and it serves them right for getting plastered and brawling with the locals, but the Health and Safety side of me is slightly suprised that the police would do this considering the potential harm that could come to a load of people who were drunk, totally unfamiliar with an area, and left to stagger for nearly two hours at 2-4am on country lanes.
As the story was being told, another guy in the office burst out laughing as the same had apparently been done to him years ago by the police, but in a different part of the country. So it seems not uncommon?
Any thoughts?
Edited by NinjaPower on Friday 31st July 12:27
Happened to me in Spain.... problems in the hotel (not us btw) our flight was early the next day so we had stayed at the hotel that night, some trouble kicked off in the bar and everyone left (we knew nothing about it til the next day). We were the only people out on a balcony (about 11pm) as everyone else was out partying.
The police got 6 of us in the back of a couple of cars and took us up some dodgy hill/mountain.
One of my mates took a full on punch to the stomach because he couldn't do a push up. We then had about a 5 mile walk back to the hotel.
The police got 6 of us in the back of a couple of cars and took us up some dodgy hill/mountain.
One of my mates took a full on punch to the stomach because he couldn't do a push up. We then had about a 5 mile walk back to the hotel.
I was once left in the middle of nowhere (somewhere between Macclesfield and Buxton) after the police impounded my car, despite me saying I had no wallet on me so I couldn't even get the train back home to Manchester. Spent most of the night walking down dual carriageways to get back home.
Wasn't even my fault, turned out months later that the DVLA had incorrect records.
Wasn't even my fault, turned out months later that the DVLA had incorrect records.
Having spent a few nights in places off the neaten track in Wales I'll put good money on it being the locals being their usual friendly welcoming selves and the Police taking the action which is the path of least resistance rather than deal with the actual cause of the problem as it's obviously impossible for there to be any racial motivation in any crime against an Englishman.
As for the dropping off in the middle of nowhere in practical terms it does agree with me (it's not like it was a lone female) but in reality of today's H&S mad World I am very surprised that the Officers actually did that.
On the other hand at least they didn't arrest the English group and lock then up for the night 'for their own protection'...
As for the dropping off in the middle of nowhere in practical terms it does agree with me (it's not like it was a lone female) but in reality of today's H&S mad World I am very surprised that the Officers actually did that.
On the other hand at least they didn't arrest the English group and lock then up for the night 'for their own protection'...
It's Ok until it goes wrong - albeit this isn't quite the same: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/lo...
The farcical prosecution of the officers was subject to a 'half time' ruling by the judge IIRC in the above matter which caused the case to be discontinued.
The farcical prosecution of the officers was subject to a 'half time' ruling by the judge IIRC in the above matter which caused the case to be discontinued.
La Liga said:
It's Ok until it goes wrong - albeit this isn't quite the same: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/lo...
The farcical prosecution of the officers was subject to a 'half time' ruling by the judge IIRC in the above matter which caused the case to be discontinued.
What I don't understand about that, is that a Humberside cop pulled up along side them? Why didn't the Lincolnshire cops just pass her over for the last few miles? It would have been literally more convenient than what they actually did.The farcical prosecution of the officers was subject to a 'half time' ruling by the judge IIRC in the above matter which caused the case to be discontinued.
Mk3Spitfire said:
What I don't understand about that, is that a Humberside cop pulled up along side them? Why didn't the Lincolnshire cops just pass her over for the last few miles? It would have been literally more convenient than what they actually did.
Or just drop her home, its not like the force boundary requires a passport to cross.La Liga said:
It's Ok until it goes wrong - albeit this isn't quite the same: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/lo...
The farcical prosecution of the officers was subject to a 'half time' ruling by the judge IIRC in the above matter which caused the case to be discontinued.
Why do you consider the prosecution to be farcical ?The farcical prosecution of the officers was subject to a 'half time' ruling by the judge IIRC in the above matter which caused the case to be discontinued.
I've only read the press article and "the facts" as reported therein, but there does seem to be a case to answer or, at least, some questions to be asked.
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