It was the number that shocked me. Six uniformed officers at the door. Neighbours would have loved it. A juicy local scandal. Must be a drug bust. Always thought there was something dodgy about those folks at No.18.
Of course it was none of these things. Incredibly, it was a school-parent dispute which had got completely out of hand with Hertfordshire police deciding, quite wrongly, that the heavy hand of the law should become involved.
Not only did the police turn out in numbers which would surprise the Brinks Matt mob but added to their mistake by sending an email to a local county councillor (she had taken up the parents’ fight) and warned if she continued to be involved she too would be investigated.
In some ways that is even more important than the original row between Cowley Hill Primary School, Chorleywood, and parents Maxie Allen, a producer at Times Radio and his partner Rosalind Levine. The school objected to emails sent by the couple concerning the appointment of a new head teacher.
Th school wrongly sent the emails to the police saying staff and governors were upset about the quantity and the tone. So what? Tone is not an issue for the police. A whack over the head is the issue for the police.
I’m not all that enamoured with the action of the school. Why they felt it right to go to the police in the first place has remained unanswered. They are a public service and should be able to fight their corner without calling in plod.
Police should focus on crime and not be used as a battering ram against democracy - Kelvin MacKenzie
GB News/Getty Images
Anyway, these officers were pulled away from hunting down criminals and sent round to a properly respectful family who are then taken down to the police station where they are kept for eight hours. An incredible length of time considering they have two children who presumably had to be looked after by friends or neighbours.
Five weeks later they are cleared. They should never have been arrested in the first place. The row has bought nothing but disgrace on the force. Police officers are, by and large great people, doing a damned difficult job. How did it come to this?
A clue comes in a letter to The Times today from a retired police inspector Geoffrey Cadman. He cites Sir Robert Peel, who set up the Met in 1829, as saying that "to recognise always that the power of police to fulfil their functions and duties is dependent on public approval of their existence, actions and behaviour." Still true today.
This kind of arrest is in danger of breaking those bonds. Further Mr Cadman said that in the old days the police would never have been knocking at the door of the couple.
He said it would have been written off at source as "no threat of imminent violence, no evidence of criminal offence, complainant advised this is not s police issue; see a solicitor if you want to take a civil action".
Sounds like a damned more sensible approach to me. And let’s be honest if he hadn’t worked Times Radio would Maxie Allen have had such easy access to a mighty organ like the Times who led its news on the story of the arrest.
As soon as Big Media re involved the police put on their reverse cycle clips. The same thing happened with Allison Pearson when the police came round to her place on a Sunday morning after complaints about her tweet. She works for The Telegraph and, after a bucket load of bad publicity, Essex Police soon decided to fold their tent. Not everybody has access to the media.
Sir Oliver Dowden pushed back against police officers attempting to curtail democracy.
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Painful that it’s been for the couple the greatest threat from Hertfordshire police is the threat to democracy.
It now emerges the email warning to Cllr Michelle Vince was written by a constable. Did he do it off his own bat or was he instructed by a senior? What kind of force allows its officers to send notes to politicians telling them to back off.
Unbelievably the local councillor was also told that she should pass on the harassment warning to others she had copied into an email about the case- and that included Sir Oliver Dowden, the former Deputy Prime Minister.
Instead of backing off the reverse has happened with both Sir Oliver and Cllr. Vince coming out against their local police force.
Sir Oliver made a good point when he said; "I’m astonished a situation could have arisen where any officer could think it would be acceptable to suggest an MP should be curtailed in carrying out their democratic duties."
Correct. This has been a disaster for Hertfordshire police. And should have been a warning to all chief constables everywhere.
The police should focus on crime. Disagreements between parents and school are ten a penny (it’s one of the main reasons teachers quit the professions) and should be left well alone. Unless you want your police force to appear on the front page of The Times.
