Tarantara: A Policeman's Lot is not an Happy One

Clearly there is not much point in nicking criminals and being so careless with record keeping, breath tests and taking the piss that they escape conviction when they get to court. Then again there is clearly room for efficiency improvements.

A couple of years ago I visited a new PFI police station at Pendleton. This is in Salford but perhaps half a mile outside the inner ring road. And Greater Manchester Police are storing alleged miscreants nabbed in City Centre Manchester there too. Well designed, spacious, and aimed at making the process slicker than at the ancient and congested Bootle Street cells.

There had been some inevitable protest at the idea of optimising the use of a modern facility and discontinuing use of an early Victorian rabbit warren. I was impressed and had a positive letter printed in the Manchester Evening News.

That was the end of the hoo-ha. As far as I know, despite that righteous fuss, the move has been a complete and utter success. Police HQ is due to move from a falling down site on Chester Road in Tory Trafford - the scene of many a nefarious deed exposed in City Life - into the City of Manchester. That too is a good move.

This lovely lad is Stuart Davidson aka PC David Copperfield the whistle blowing blogger. He is the star turn in BBC Panorama's Wasting Police Time which will be broadcast on BBC One on Monday September 17 at 2030 BST. Tonight.

Stuart is to be permanantly transported to the colonies. Off to work for the Canadian Police. To be blunt if I were them I wouldn't take him. He's clearly a bit of a twat.

No doubt some of the people making Panorama would rather be out and about all day with their cameras and lights and microphones and the rest. But the programme would not get made without many hours preparation and post-production in the editing suite. That's life.

Some MPs would no doubt prefer to be doing PMQs all day every day. But alas there are mountains of paperwork for them too. That's life too. Evening all: Inspector Iain Dale.

TRIVIA: Your blogger once played a Copper and acting Sergeant in a production of the Pirates of Penzance at school. One of the performances was on the evening of his 18th birthday and he went with his girlf of the time - Lucia, where are you? - to the pub in which he quaffed and played darts and pool on many a lunchtime and free period.
This became the first and only time he was refused service.
It must have been the stage slap. To add insult to injury, but also provide refreshment, the girlf (16) was served.

Altogether now:
With constabulary duties to be done, to be done
A po-leece-man's lot is not an happy one, happy one!