Inside Scotland Yard's secret CO19 gun cop unit | News | News Of The World
Click on link to see video.
IT’S the one police squad always in the firing line—Scotland Yard’s secret elite CO19 gun cops.
They go in hard, fast and are trained to kill if necessary. Their tough, no- nonsense style will shock many and when they get it wrong they’re under fire yet again—from critics and the courts.
But this 550-strong team of the Metropolitan Police’s finest are often all that stands between us, the innocent public, and the ruthless thugs, drug dealers and terrorists armed to the teeth with guns and explosives.
Evil
CO19’s officers are still living in the shadow of the bungled 2005 operation that ended with the shooting and death of Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes, mistaken for a terrorist on the London Underground.
And now for the first time they have allowed cameras to follow them as they tackle frontline crime on London’s streets. This unprecedented warts and all footage is an eye-opener—never before has a British police force agreed to show its hardline tactics so openly.
You can see a clip on the video player further down this page.
Senior officers insist their methods are vital in a city where they are confronted with an explosion of violence—two people shot every day—and gunmen as young as 15 tooled up and wandering the streets in bullet-proof vests.
CO19’s Sgt Matt Smith says: “Let’s be perfectly honest about it, we’re a necessary evil.
“If I could choose, then I would live in a society where police officers don’t need guns. Unfortunately, that society doesn’t exist in England and certainly doesn’t exist in London. Therefore we have to be in a position to respond to the threat of people with firearms."
Of course there are apologies for the De Menezes disaster, but CO19 bosses insist they rarely open fire despite being called out to 8,000 gun crimes and high-risk operations every year.
Many of them are gang-related and involve lethal weapons—with the force seizing a terrifying 400 guns in London EVERY MONTH including Kalashnikov machine guns and Mac 10 machine pistols.
The squad carries out three armed raids every day. But it is the new breed of teenage killers that has CO19 worried. In 2007 190 children under 17 were shot in London. A quarter of all shootings officers respond to are committed by under-18s.
Insp Matt Twist says: “There are children of 14, 15, 16 using guns to settle disputes that would have previously been fights in the playground.
“It’s scary, if at that age you’re prepared to use guns to shoot other people, God knows what’s going to happen in the next five years.” PC Warwick Jones adds: “It’s not going to be long before someone in the department shoots a 14 or 15-year-old boy and we’re going to get absolutely slated.”
But the cameras reveal the frightening reality as they trail CO19 at work in gangland Britain.
CLICK BELOW TO WATCH GUN COPS CLIP
In The Line of Fire - starts Tuesday at 9pm on ITV1
Following a shooting in Tottenham officers pull two teenagers from a car, one a boy of 15 wearing body armour and a single glove on his right hand, often used to prevent the skin being tainted with telltale gun residue. A search of the car reveals a loaded revolver wrapped in a kitchen towel.
CCTV footage captures a young thug pulling a gun on a crowd—but luckily it jams before he can shoot and he’s quickly cornered by CO19.
In other scenes, a trio of young black men— seven out of 10 London gun crime suspects are black—are held after an Uzi submachine gun was pulled out on a busy dancefloor at a club in Streatham, south London.
Two of them are found with a bloodied knife and clothing from a triple stabbing earlier that night. Both end up jailed for violent disorder. The third gets four years after admitting five firearms offences.
In another sequence officers smash through a car window and drag the driver out, thinking he is responsible for drawing a gun in a nightclub.
The man is innocent but refuses to surrender and gets kicked by the cops then tasered with a 50,000-volt stun gun. He is later charged with drink driving.
One clip shows the officers drag a black man from his car as he matches the description of a suspect and fails to open the car door when ordered to. He is thrown to the ground then shoved up against a wall.
The man, who turns out to be innocent, complains that he has been stamped on and is told: “Mate, we’re not ********** about are we? We’ve got guns out. Switch on, shut up and do as you are told!”
If children now shoot people, God knows what will happen in 5 years time
Cameras follow as cops storm the home of ex-con Dean Miles, who used what turns out to be an imitation pistol in an attack on a shopkeeper.
Officers take just seconds to rip off the door and drag a shirtless Miles away from his family.
He is later jailed for two years.
Many times it is the officers themselves who become targets.
Clips show an unmarked police car peppered with bullet holes by a known gang member.
One of the officers inside the car reveals a 9mm round hit his body armour and landed on his lap.
It takes officers three hours to find the gunman—a 20-year-old afro-haired Peckham thug. He is known for previous drug and gun offences and winds up with a life sentence.
In some cases officers push, kick or punch suspects until they submit to being handcuffed. PC Jones says: “To the outsider it looks oppressive and aggressive, but what’s the alternative? Do we get into a fight with these people and they start grabbing our guns? Then you’re in a world of cr*p that you don’t really need.
“They need to be controlled early—it looks agressive, but then how do you get an armed bloke out of a car? Are you going to knock on the window and say ‘Get out’? You’re not going to do it, are you?”
Force
Insp Twist adds: “The reason a lot of force can sometimes be used is that the information that the suspect has a gun is very good.
“What you want to do at that point is gain compliance. We don’t want to get into a negotiation, a slanging match or a conversation with the person. We want them to do what we say because that’s the safest way of resolving the incident.
“Because at the end of the day the last thing we want to do is shoot them.”
Officers are trained to use verbal and physical strategies to gain that compliance. They resort to kicking if needed because their hands are used to hold their guns.
Insp Twist adds: “The absolutely overwhelming majority of incidents we go to are dealt with completely safely, very quickly and very professionally. And on many occasions without even pulling a firearm.”
* In The Line Of Fire starts Tuesday, Feb 10, 9pm ITV1. For information about other ITV programmes visit http://www.itv.com
Should British Cops be armed?
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Should British Cops be armed?
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
Should British Cops be armed?
Should British Cops be armed?
Jean Charles de Menezes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jean Charles de Menezes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Should British Cops be armed?
Australian police are armed.
It's nice to be important,but more important to be nice.
Should British Cops be armed?
i have a few police friend
they say no
they say no
"To be foolish and to recognize that one is foolish, is better than to be foolish and imagine that one is wise."
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Should British Cops be armed?
el guapo;1130555 wrote: i have a few police friend
they say no
It's a tough one. They need armed police for terrorism etc but i wouldn't want to see my local police rampaging around armed to the teeth....theyre bad enough as it is.
they say no
It's a tough one. They need armed police for terrorism etc but i wouldn't want to see my local police rampaging around armed to the teeth....theyre bad enough as it is.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
Should British Cops be armed?
our police are armed here and thank god they are.
Life is just to short for drama.
Should British Cops be armed?
They most definitely should be armed. I would suggest that they all carry a side arm of their choice, two to three hand granades, Mac 10 machine guns, K Bar Knife, AK 47's.
Should British Cops be armed?
No-except for special situations like the ones shown. Most of the time our police are not facing criminals armed with guns. When the metropolitan police were created the UK was hardly a free country the main reason that the police was not to be armed was so as they would not be seen as just another arm of the state but rather citizens given special powers and that would in time gain the support of those they were policing. On the whole most people in this country are broadly supportive if the police, those that aren't are just very vocal. Our society has been a lot more violent in the past than it is now and there have always been armed police standing by when needed and gun crime is not as widespread as the media would lead you to believe. London is not the rest of the country. what happens there is not typical.
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Should British Cops be armed?
gmc;1130725 wrote: No-except for special situations like the ones shown. Most of the time our police are not facing criminals armed with guns. When the metropolitan police were created the UK was hardly a free country the main reason that the police was not to be armed was so as they would not be seen as just another arm of the state but rather citizens given special powers and that would in time gain the support of those they were policing. On the whole most people in this country are broadly supportive if the police, those that aren't are just very vocal. Our society has been a lot more violent in the past than it is now and there have always been armed police standing by when needed and gun crime is not as widespread as the media would lead you to believe. London is not the rest of the country. what happens there is not typical.Good heavens above Jockstrap...do we agree on something?
It's quite common to see armed police wandering around Bristol city centre at night and i was quite shocked when i first saw them. We have had some pretty nasty gun crime here so it's to be expected however the thought of all police being armed rather disturbs me. That's on account of how many times they have ballsed up. De Menezes is not the only one to have fallen foul of gung ho cops. there has been more where the victem could have been talked down. If arming them is in proportion to the amount of cops shot or killed on our streets then, without googling statistics, i don't believe that violence towards cops here warrants then all being armed. To even give them all tasar is bad enough. i don't believe we even get the football violence we used to.(since i stopped going up the terraces)
It's quite common to see armed police wandering around Bristol city centre at night and i was quite shocked when i first saw them. We have had some pretty nasty gun crime here so it's to be expected however the thought of all police being armed rather disturbs me. That's on account of how many times they have ballsed up. De Menezes is not the only one to have fallen foul of gung ho cops. there has been more where the victem could have been talked down. If arming them is in proportion to the amount of cops shot or killed on our streets then, without googling statistics, i don't believe that violence towards cops here warrants then all being armed. To even give them all tasar is bad enough. i don't believe we even get the football violence we used to.(since i stopped going up the terraces)
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
Should British Cops be armed?
We don't get this kind of thing either
BBC ON THIS DAY | 18 | 1964: Mods and Rockers jailed after seaside riots
course they had national service and borstal in those days so that was all right then. remember skinheads and punks and getting belted at school? or maybe you got caned which always seemed kind if kinky.
BBC ON THIS DAY | 18 | 1964: Mods and Rockers jailed after seaside riots
course they had national service and borstal in those days so that was all right then. remember skinheads and punks and getting belted at school? or maybe you got caned which always seemed kind if kinky.
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Should British Cops be armed?
gmc;1131047 wrote: We don't get this kind of thing either
BBC ON THIS DAY | 18 | 1964: Mods and Rockers jailed after seaside riots
course they had national service and borstal in those days so that was all right then. remember skinheads and punks and getting belted at school? or maybe you got caned which always seemed kind if kinky.
As Brighton is where i was born and raised, the sea-front was a no go zone on bank holidays. I was a punk but punks were more peacefull than the skinheads. The police coped then (just) and i don't believe we haver any more violence now than we did then.
The football violence was extreme compared to what it is now. Brighton and Hove Albion was one of the worst especially against Millwall or Portsmouth. The skinheads would go for the violence not the footy. Mind you, if you saw the way Brighton played, you'd get pretty violent as well. Again, the police dealt with it without tasar or guns but your right, we had Borstal and judges who sentenced to be-fit the crime and not under Blair's nanny state.
BBC ON THIS DAY | 18 | 1964: Mods and Rockers jailed after seaside riots
course they had national service and borstal in those days so that was all right then. remember skinheads and punks and getting belted at school? or maybe you got caned which always seemed kind if kinky.
As Brighton is where i was born and raised, the sea-front was a no go zone on bank holidays. I was a punk but punks were more peacefull than the skinheads. The police coped then (just) and i don't believe we haver any more violence now than we did then.
The football violence was extreme compared to what it is now. Brighton and Hove Albion was one of the worst especially against Millwall or Portsmouth. The skinheads would go for the violence not the footy. Mind you, if you saw the way Brighton played, you'd get pretty violent as well. Again, the police dealt with it without tasar or guns but your right, we had Borstal and judges who sentenced to be-fit the crime and not under Blair's nanny state.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
Should British Cops be armed?
oscar;1131052 wrote: As Brighton is where i was born and raised, the sea-front was a no go zone on bank holidays. I was a punk but punks were more peacefull than the skinheads. The police coped then (just) and i don't believe we haver any more violence now than we did then.
The football violence was extreme compared to what it is now. Brighton and Hove Albion was one of the worst especially against Millwall or Portsmouth. The skinheads would go for the violence not the footy. Mind you, if you saw the way Brighton played, you'd get pretty violent as well. Again, the police dealt with it without tasar or guns but your right, we had Borstal and judges who sentenced to be-fit the crime and not under Blair's nanny state.
National service and borstal did nothing to stop that level of violence that was the point I was making. I was actually being facetious, far from being some green and pleasant utopia we have lost because of the nanny state the level of violence when we had all these things people now want back was an awful lot higher than it is now. It's not stiff sentences, national service and borstal that stop crime. The whole thing is just not that simple.
The football violence was extreme compared to what it is now. Brighton and Hove Albion was one of the worst especially against Millwall or Portsmouth. The skinheads would go for the violence not the footy. Mind you, if you saw the way Brighton played, you'd get pretty violent as well. Again, the police dealt with it without tasar or guns but your right, we had Borstal and judges who sentenced to be-fit the crime and not under Blair's nanny state.
National service and borstal did nothing to stop that level of violence that was the point I was making. I was actually being facetious, far from being some green and pleasant utopia we have lost because of the nanny state the level of violence when we had all these things people now want back was an awful lot higher than it is now. It's not stiff sentences, national service and borstal that stop crime. The whole thing is just not that simple.
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Should British Cops be armed?
gmc;1131361 wrote: National service and borstal did nothing to stop that level of violence that was the point I was making. I was actually being facetious, far from being some green and pleasant utopia we have lost because of the nanny state the level of violence when we had all these things people now want back was an awful lot higher than it is now. It's not stiff sentences, national service and borstal that stop crime. The whole thing is just not that simple.
I think the police turned a blind eye to a lot of the gang related crime in the 60's and 70's with mods, rockers, etc.
Mr O and i were discussing this recently and we said that what we think today is that violence is often indiscriminant. I remember violence being very much gang related when i was young but now people get killed for standing at a bus stop.
I have actually witnessed myself, full scale battles against the police at footy matches and with skinhead gangs. I'd still say that i don't believe the police come under any more violence than they did then.
I think the police turned a blind eye to a lot of the gang related crime in the 60's and 70's with mods, rockers, etc.
Mr O and i were discussing this recently and we said that what we think today is that violence is often indiscriminant. I remember violence being very much gang related when i was young but now people get killed for standing at a bus stop.
I have actually witnessed myself, full scale battles against the police at footy matches and with skinhead gangs. I'd still say that i don't believe the police come under any more violence than they did then.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
Should British Cops be armed?
oscar;1131432 wrote: I think the police turned a blind eye to a lot of the gang related crime in the 60's and 70's with mods, rockers, etc.
Mr O and i were discussing this recently and we said that what we think today is that violence is often indiscriminant. I remember violence being very much gang related when i was young but now people get killed for standing at a bus stop.
I have actually witnessed myself, full scale battles against the police at footy matches and with skinhead gangs. I'd still say that i don't believe the police come under any more violence than they did then.
It was also generally accepted that people would step outside the pub and settle their differences. or two teenagers would have a fight and that would be it. Domestic violence was also ignored as being a private affair-there isn't more now than here used to be it's just people won't accept it as being part of life the same way they used to.
Mr O and i were discussing this recently and we said that what we think today is that violence is often indiscriminant. I remember violence being very much gang related when i was young but now people get killed for standing at a bus stop.
I have actually witnessed myself, full scale battles against the police at footy matches and with skinhead gangs. I'd still say that i don't believe the police come under any more violence than they did then.
It was also generally accepted that people would step outside the pub and settle their differences. or two teenagers would have a fight and that would be it. Domestic violence was also ignored as being a private affair-there isn't more now than here used to be it's just people won't accept it as being part of life the same way they used to.
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Should British Cops be armed?
gmc;1131601 wrote: It was also generally accepted that people would step outside the pub and settle their differences. or two teenagers would have a fight and that would be it. Domestic violence was also ignored as being a private affair-there isn't more now than here used to be it's just people won't accept it as being part of life the same way they used to.
So, apart from terrorism, no need really for all our cops to be armed or have tasars?
Personally, i just feel that if a scroat is going to raid an off licence, he's more likely to go with a gun if he thinks the cops are armed even with tasar. There's less need for the scroats to arm them-selves knowing that cops are un-armed. Our country has an appalling record of gung ho cops and i can just see us ending up like America where having a gun is the norm to protect yourself from the criminals who all have guns.
So, apart from terrorism, no need really for all our cops to be armed or have tasars?
Personally, i just feel that if a scroat is going to raid an off licence, he's more likely to go with a gun if he thinks the cops are armed even with tasar. There's less need for the scroats to arm them-selves knowing that cops are un-armed. Our country has an appalling record of gung ho cops and i can just see us ending up like America where having a gun is the norm to protect yourself from the criminals who all have guns.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
Should British Cops be armed?
oscar;1131709 wrote: So, apart from terrorism, no need really for all our cops to be armed or have tasars?
Personally, i just feel that if a scroat is going to raid an off licence, he's more likely to go with a gun if he thinks the cops are armed even with tasar. There's less need for the scroats to arm them-selves knowing that cops are un-armed. Our country has an appalling record of gung ho cops and i can just see us ending up like America where having a gun is the norm to protect yourself from the criminals who all have guns.
I kind of like the original ethos that the police are there to uphold the law with the support of the populace rather than impose it by force.
Personally, i just feel that if a scroat is going to raid an off licence, he's more likely to go with a gun if he thinks the cops are armed even with tasar. There's less need for the scroats to arm them-selves knowing that cops are un-armed. Our country has an appalling record of gung ho cops and i can just see us ending up like America where having a gun is the norm to protect yourself from the criminals who all have guns.
I kind of like the original ethos that the police are there to uphold the law with the support of the populace rather than impose it by force.
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Should British Cops be armed?
gmc;1132065 wrote: I kind of like the original ethos that the police are there to uphold the law with the support of the populace rather than impose it by force.
When you have some-one who has never been before the police before being arrested for confronting scroats in the act of criminal damage, and i am not the only case in Britain, just the one who got most media attention, that is alot to do with it.
I always remember being told that they were 'Civilians in Uniform'. the Specials were the best as they had no targets to chase. The police have gone from 'protecting the public' to an 'easy coller' for their targets however idiotic it is. I don't fully blame them because it comes from above. If a station is under-performing, the seniors will bring it down on the plods to perform.
The Tory's are pleadging that targets will be removed if they get in and the Shadow Home Secretary, Dominic grieve, is promising the public immunity from prosecution if they confront a crime in process. I'm not sure about that one, it could give the local looney licence to go round bashing who they like.
Something has to change whatever....... It can't go on like this and arming all police is not the answer. they need to win the trust and respect back from the public first. When i was on Radio Northampton recently, there was an elderly guy on there who had been burgled by the same scroats. The police couldn't get enough evidence to prosecute them because the CPS now tends to lean against water-tight convictions. The guy was at the end of his tether but told that if they came back for the 14th time and he went for them...he stood the chance of being nicked himself.
When you have some-one who has never been before the police before being arrested for confronting scroats in the act of criminal damage, and i am not the only case in Britain, just the one who got most media attention, that is alot to do with it.
I always remember being told that they were 'Civilians in Uniform'. the Specials were the best as they had no targets to chase. The police have gone from 'protecting the public' to an 'easy coller' for their targets however idiotic it is. I don't fully blame them because it comes from above. If a station is under-performing, the seniors will bring it down on the plods to perform.
The Tory's are pleadging that targets will be removed if they get in and the Shadow Home Secretary, Dominic grieve, is promising the public immunity from prosecution if they confront a crime in process. I'm not sure about that one, it could give the local looney licence to go round bashing who they like.
Something has to change whatever....... It can't go on like this and arming all police is not the answer. they need to win the trust and respect back from the public first. When i was on Radio Northampton recently, there was an elderly guy on there who had been burgled by the same scroats. The police couldn't get enough evidence to prosecute them because the CPS now tends to lean against water-tight convictions. The guy was at the end of his tether but told that if they came back for the 14th time and he went for them...he stood the chance of being nicked himself.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
Should British Cops be armed?
oscar;1132746 wrote: When you have some-one who has never been before the police before being arrested for confronting scroats in the act of criminal damage, and i am not the only case in Britain, just the one who got most media attention, that is alot to do with it.
I always remember being told that they were 'Civilians in Uniform'. the Specials were the best as they had no targets to chase. The police have gone from 'protecting the public' to an 'easy coller' for their targets however idiotic it is. I don't fully blame them because it comes from above. If a station is under-performing, the seniors will bring it down on the plods to perform.
The Tory's are pleadging that targets will be removed if they get in and the Shadow Home Secretary, Dominic grieve, is promising the public immunity from prosecution if they confront a crime in process. I'm not sure about that one, it could give the local looney licence to go round bashing who they like.
Something has to change whatever....... It can't go on like this and arming all police is not the answer. they need to win the trust and respect back from the public first. When i was on Radio Northampton recently, there was an elderly guy on there who had been burgled by the same scroats. The police couldn't get enough evidence to prosecute them because the CPS now tends to lean against water-tight convictions. The guy was at the end of his tether but told that if they came back for the 14th time and he went for them...he stood the chance of being nicked himself.
Doesn't help that your mates in new labour think they should be more closely monitoring the police to hold them accountable. Classic goal displacement isn't it. The police aren't there to police but to fill in statistical returns to make the government look good on crime.
YouTube - Rolf Harris ::: The Laughing Policeman
I always remember being told that they were 'Civilians in Uniform'. the Specials were the best as they had no targets to chase. The police have gone from 'protecting the public' to an 'easy coller' for their targets however idiotic it is. I don't fully blame them because it comes from above. If a station is under-performing, the seniors will bring it down on the plods to perform.
The Tory's are pleadging that targets will be removed if they get in and the Shadow Home Secretary, Dominic grieve, is promising the public immunity from prosecution if they confront a crime in process. I'm not sure about that one, it could give the local looney licence to go round bashing who they like.
Something has to change whatever....... It can't go on like this and arming all police is not the answer. they need to win the trust and respect back from the public first. When i was on Radio Northampton recently, there was an elderly guy on there who had been burgled by the same scroats. The police couldn't get enough evidence to prosecute them because the CPS now tends to lean against water-tight convictions. The guy was at the end of his tether but told that if they came back for the 14th time and he went for them...he stood the chance of being nicked himself.
Doesn't help that your mates in new labour think they should be more closely monitoring the police to hold them accountable. Classic goal displacement isn't it. The police aren't there to police but to fill in statistical returns to make the government look good on crime.
YouTube - Rolf Harris ::: The Laughing Policeman
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Should British Cops be armed?
gmc;1132906 wrote: Doesn't help that your mates in new labour think they should be more closely monitoring the police to hold them accountable. Classic goal displacement isn't it. The police aren't there to police but to fill in statistical returns to make the government look good on crime.
YouTube - Rolf Harris ::: The Laughing Policeman
I have said before on another thread...... from all the people involved with my spot of bother and even all the people who wrote to me..... I believe that crime is the second biggest issue in this country and if GB doesn't address it, he could lose the election. People are sick to death of it.
I remember one night, there was about 40 youths on our war memorial and even throwing stones at passing cars. Several phoned the police and we were told there would be a car there shortly. After an hour, we were sick of waiting and went home. Two hours after that, two plods visited my house to tell me they had just been to the memorial and 'yes, the damage was disgusting'. I went into my usual derogatory tirade at them and they said that it wasn't their fault as all units were confined to the station doing paper work because the cells were full. I wouldn't mind if the cells were full of 'criminals' but i knew they just be the usual 'drunk and disorderlys' they pick up on a friday night in town for a quick coller.
If Cameron stands by his vow to end targets, i think it will get the Tory's a lot of votes.
YouTube - Rolf Harris ::: The Laughing Policeman
I have said before on another thread...... from all the people involved with my spot of bother and even all the people who wrote to me..... I believe that crime is the second biggest issue in this country and if GB doesn't address it, he could lose the election. People are sick to death of it.
I remember one night, there was about 40 youths on our war memorial and even throwing stones at passing cars. Several phoned the police and we were told there would be a car there shortly. After an hour, we were sick of waiting and went home. Two hours after that, two plods visited my house to tell me they had just been to the memorial and 'yes, the damage was disgusting'. I went into my usual derogatory tirade at them and they said that it wasn't their fault as all units were confined to the station doing paper work because the cells were full. I wouldn't mind if the cells were full of 'criminals' but i knew they just be the usual 'drunk and disorderlys' they pick up on a friday night in town for a quick coller.
If Cameron stands by his vow to end targets, i think it will get the Tory's a lot of votes.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon