Police Officer becomes witness for the defence

[Derek Smith]

Mill Wheel said:

Wasn't somebody killed by a lump of concrete dropped from a bridge.. a taxi driver taking miners to work during the strike I seem to remember.

No wonder undercover operatives would have been desirable! Not sure printers ink would be a good substitute for coal under the fingernails though Derek!

I don't suppose you were at the Grunwick dispute...?

I was part of the lead shield serial for the City of London for nearly 3 years. I was sent to loads of really dodgy demonstrations all around London in that time but was used probably no more than half a dozen times. We were described as 'too agressive' even before we were used. It was madness. We were only called out when everything had gone bent so we were of limited use.

We were trained to snatch, protect specific people and to go in a retrieve cut off officers. We were called in to to that to two or three who were having all sorts of problems at Trafalgar Square. They were getting a real beating. We did what we were trained to do: 10 of us form into a small wedge, went against the crowd with what were then small shields, but a bit bigger than the cirular ones nowadays, and just pushed our way through the mob to the mat officers getting the beating. We then got them in the middle of the wedge, changed direction and made our way out.

It was ever so exciting and had little risk attached. We were applauded by those on the Met line as we came through. It was really cool. A few days later I took a drink driver into Bow Street (Met) nick. I'd had a few prisoners there in the past and was recognised by the charge room inspector. So despite the SPG getting there first and having 10 or a dozan prisoners waiting to be process, two of whom were stroppy to say the least, I was moved up to the head of the queue. The SPG weren't too happy but the inspector just told them that if they didn't like it they could clear off to some other nick. My prisoner was terrified and just to make it worse, the Mets were talking about the aggro at Trafalgar Square and what we'd done.

The odd thing is that as our unit trained together, had the best equipment and (later) had a fully equipped first aider with us at all times, we were the safest place to be in a demo.

[Mill Wheel]

Does your wife take you shopping with her in the January sales just in case?

[carinaman]

He looks like that bloke smiling from the 'injured at work' claim4 advert on eBay.

Relationships with 2 of them? He went native?

policecouldyou?

It depends what they looked like, but I am still not keen on those earrings.