I lived in Notting Hill for 20 years. I can remember the circumstances clearly.

The girlfriend of my flatmate phoned to say the flatmate was being held at Westbourne Grove police station, charged with 'obstructing police' on Portobello Road.

She had allegedly pulled open a police van door as a French busking clown was arrested and tossed in the back. She was upset as the cops roughed him up as a dozen little kids who had been watching him perform were now crying as their 'clown' was bundled away.

Never doing things by half I found the a superb barrister and we turned up at court. He led the cop through a series of complicated questions about the clown's red nose..where it was, how it had fallen off and so on.

The cop who had been lying didn't realise he was being led down a path to basically say that they van door had been open all along..so my pal couldn't have pulled it open.

The judge called a halt to the case and dismissed it immediately. Outside I asked the aggressive cop why he had lied "oh we are never right are we until you need us" was his silly reply.

My innocent flatmate was then called as a witness to Knightsbridhge where the French clown was appealing his conviction for assaulting police (they had punched him). When she walked in to give evidence that it was actually police who had assaulted him, not the other way around, the 3 appeal judges had a quick conference and passed the clown's appeal.

It was illuminating : the whole exercise must have cost tens of thousands of pounds for nothing ! I think my flatmate got £80 witness fee !!

this must happen 100s of times a week. If you are shamelessly middle class like me ( but very grand ) you know how to fight the system..gawd help the working class proles

Great story Hedda and you're right; police corruption has been around for ages. But I think you'll agree - the majority of cops are decent people just doing their job. A few bad apples and a hefty percentage of those who just "go along with things". Those are the worries.

Hedda wrote, "I asked the aggressive cop why he had lied 'oh we are never right are we until you need us' was his silly reply."

Sadly, if so predictably this divisive 'them & us' shallow atttitude STILL prevails in ever divided UK.

Until PUBLIC SERVANTS (from prol-Cops to Commons-M.P.s) are MADE to realize that without PUBLIC SUPPORT they are NOTHING.

... and I thought Broadchurch was hard to follow !!!!!

In The Know (but not this time) wrote:
... and I thought Broadchurch was hard to follow !!!!!

very remiss of me not too add a required rating for adult tales

ie : PG 13 Not Suitable (for those with minds) Under 13 Years Old