Birmingham police are not to retrain as postmen!

The Policeman Always Rings Twice

As the chief constable of West Midlands Police checks up on the coppers he's going to make redundant, he'd be well advised not suggesting the Post Office as alternative employment for them. When it comes to identifying roads in Birmingham, names can have a disastrous effect on the detection system. Matthew Jillard, of Bordesley Green, said he had been visited by police more than 40 times in the past 18 months, often in the middle of the night. He said police confused his house in Repton Road with a nearby address in Repton Grove. Road or Grove? Sounds similar, I'll grant you, especially said quickly in Brum. But Mr. Jillard has told them about this simple error many times.

"When my girlfriend rang Police HQ at Lloyd House the gaffer there said he knew all about it because they had seminars about not getting it wrong. We used to get post for the address in Repton Grove but that has stopped after we contacted them. We've put up signs, we've tried to get them to change their records. Some officers have said it is their sat-nav because they're not always that accurate. I really don't know what more we can do."

This may be a one off but I get the impression it's what is really wrong with Britain. Nobody takes responsibility, passing the buck is normal and government institutions are rendered virtually incapable by paralytical political correctness. What did he say? Had seminars? Their sat-nav wasn't working? David Cameron is probably bang on getting them shaken up.

In reply a police spokeswoman said, "West Midlands Police can confirm that officers have attended an incorrect address in Repton Road on several occasions. Officers have been in regular contact with the occupier to apologise for the mistakes. A number of measures have been put in place to stop this from happening again." A number of measures? Half measures, no doubt! Come off it, dear. One measure would be quite enough. Full and brimming with thoughful, reasoned effort.

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PC police frighten Muriel in Brum!

This is a very strange story. The West Midlands police are still operating under some misapprehension that they know best over matters of political thought and expression. On certain days they get politically corrected and go a bit barmy. One such occurrence was recently when officers turned up at the premises of an elderly Asian shopkeeper. They had objected to a mural on the side wall of her shop. This mural depicted the damage and suffering in Gaza. The police had seen the mural, though it was a "risk" to community goodwill and suggested to the woman that she could be the object of a fire bomb. This scared the 79-year old woman witless. Ploughing on, they informed her that a "risk assessment" had been carried out (by them!) and asked her to rescind perbasis-mission for the mural and sign a form authorising its removal. Obviously in the circumstances she did just that.

Now has anyone complained to the police. NO! Even the Jewish community had seen nothing wrong with the painting. Ruth Jacobs, of the Israel Information Centre in Birmingham, a public relations office set up to promote Israel and Jewish culture and working in conjunction with the Israeli embassy, said, 'I would not complain about these images because I see them as part of the right to free speech in this country. They are actually quite good pieces of art. If the building owners are happy for them to be there, that's all that matters.' So no joy for the PC brigade there, then.

In fact all this is some braindead idea from the Force itself. They should really keep to proper policing and not go around initiating such stuff themselves. Of course, they deny this risk assessment, but do I believe them? Not really, because the guy who painted this mural is an award-winning graffiti artist, praised by South Bank Show judges for 'creating messages of peace, unity and hope'. It beggars belief that this was not known locally.

I remember Hilda Ogden being absolutely proud of her internal mural. "Stanley, what do you think of it? My, muriel you great lump!". Stan was not impressed and had similar scheming thoughts as the West Midlands Police. It's a crying shame Hilda Ogden isn't fit enough to go round to the Chief Constable with her handbag!

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