This from The Scotsman...
Officers have begun leaving the British Transport Police ahead of its controversial integration into Police Scotland, it has emerged.
The British Transport Police Federation said a small number of officers had left to join specialist forces elsewhere in Scotland, while others were seeking transfers to England.
Fancy!
The SNP has decided to disaggregate the BTP!
Of course even in Scotland, it is rumoured that, fine Malts are watered down.Delighted to pass my first Bill with support from Greens. Will make Railway Policing more accountable & draw on wider pool of expertise— Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) June 27, 2017
This from our 'Railway Plod'; which is very much part of the Railway Family.
Which makes it somewhat personal!
Statement from Chief Constable on British Transport Police officer injured at London Bridge
Following the horrific attacks at London Bridge last night, the British Transport Police officer who was injured is now in a stable condition.
Chief Constable Paul Crowther said: “Having visited the officer in hospital shortly after he was admitted for treatment, I was able to hear his account of what happened last night.
“It became clear that he showed enormous courage in the face of danger, as did many others who were at the scene and rushed to help.
“Although he is seriously unwell, he was able to recount how he faced the attackers armed only with his baton, outside London Bridge station.
“For an officer who only joined us less than two years ago, the bravery he showed was outstanding and makes me extremely proud.
“All of us at BTP wish him a swift recovery, and I know he will be touched by the hundreds of messages of support from across the UK and the world.
“Our thoughts are with all of those who died or were injured, and their loved ones as they try to come to terms with what happened.”
Big respect!
Good effort.
And our prayers and thoughts are with the officer, his colleagues, family and friends.
Also... thank you to all our BTP colleagues for all that you do to keep everyone safe, day in and day out, on or about the railway.
Of course, the BTP has often been at the forefront of policing.
This from the British Transport Police History Group...
The railway police were the first force in the country to use trained police dogs (1909), one of the first to use drug sniffer dogs (1974), and the first to introduce a computerised crime reporting procedure (1970s).
This from Politics Home...
JUSTICE
Other pledges include the creation of a national infrastructure police force, bringing together the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, the Ministry of Defence Police and the British Transport Police to improve the protection of critical infrastructure such as nuclear sites, railways and the strategic road network.
Not sure that this will be universally welcomed!
This from the British Transport Police Authority...
I am writing to inform you that Esther McVey has formally resigned her position as Chairman and her membership of the British Transport Police Authority following her selection as the Conservative Party candidate for the Tatton Constituency in the upcoming General Election. Esther, who was formally selected as a prospective parliamentary candidate on 26 April, has been Chairman since November 2015.
Mark Phillips, the current Deputy Chairman, will be fulfilling the duties of Chairman until a permanent replacement can be appointed. Mark, who has been a member of BTPA since September 2013, has a background in rail, having worked for British Rail, Railtrack and National Express. He is currently Chief Executive of the RSSB.
Tatton was the constituency of the former Chancellor, George 'Many Jobs' Osborne.
This from the Inverness Courier...
TWO Inverness schoolchildren are to become rail safety ambassadors after trespassing on a main line near the city.
This from the Runcorn & Widnes World...
A GANG of metal thieves who posed as railway workers to steal redundant rail and fencing, have been jailed for a total of more than 21 years.
As PJ Woodhouse was fond of saying: 'without the option'.
And Quite. Right. Too!
Sad to say police officers with firearms are now set to become the norm at major stations.
As pictured at St Pancras on Friday...
Eye shares the concern of others, including the World's Greatest Living Transport Correspondent, about this development which does little to reassure and serves only to create a climate of intimidation and fear.
Although, to be fair, this particular BTP officer was charm itself, despite his clutching a device with the power to make quite a hole in one's diary...
UPDATE: This from the Archer...
I assume the officer in question was on riot patrol...
What with the soi disant 'veteran observer' and others making an emotional return to Derby post the IMechE Luncheon.
This from Robin Hood...
Good news for all the crims and perps out there! (is this right? Ed)
This from the British Transport Police...
You can now follow us on Twitter.
Let's see how they like it! (you're fired!!! Ed)
This from The Yokel...
Would these pictures from Hatfield (Herts) qualify as Pointless Sign entries?
The bridge is the only way onto and off the island platform that serves both fast and slow Down lines.
If we cannot pass the sign, then it is pointless having Down trains stop at Hatfield (except to pick up passengers from the previous train who have realised that they cannot leave the station).
With the slightly darker mood occasioned by the news that the BTP intends to award itself the authority to shoot passengers, perhaps all those pictured breaching railway bylaws should be dealt with 'Met stylee'?
Good news for those concerned about fare evasion!
This from Sky News...
Sky News has learned that the growing threat of terrorism has prompted British Transport Police to draw up plans for its own firearms division.
Brazilian passengers may wish to travel by coach in future.
Telegrammed by International Correspondent
British Transport Police is taking control of 23 helicopters (plus three spares) to provide a new National Police Air Service.
This replaces the 33 machines presently owned by individual county forces and the Met.
Civil police wanting to deploy a helicopter will now have to ask nicely, instead of just splashing out £2000 an hour whenever they fancy.
G-NTWK, Network Rail's own very lovely Eurocopter AS355 is not included in the scheme, despite bearing a very Police like black and yellow livery.
The move puts an extra £51 million into the BTP annual budget – not to be sniffed at – but one hopes that BTP Public Affairs will be ready to assume ownership of the ever-rising number of complaints about helicopter noise, many of which are generated by police air operations. Between them, Plod and the air ambulance account for 60% of London helicopter traffic.
Previous BTP adventures in the air have not gone smoothly - a 2008 flirtation with miniature drone helicopters that "squirted" offenders with smart water was outlawed by the Civil Aviation Authority.
The chopper fleet gives the only national civil police force an interesting new line in Big Toys, sorry, an enhanced logistical capability.
Perhaps compensating for the loss of the erstwhile and much loved Cross Country Plod-Duff.
UPDATE: This from a Mr McAree...
Eye says: "The chopper fleet gives the only national civil police force an interesting new line in Big Toys, sorry, an enhanced logistical capability."
Sorry to be pedantic but there is another national civil police force out there. The Civil Nuclear Constabulary.
UPDATE: This from Our International Correspondent...
Civil Nuclear Constabulary – the Polonium Plod - may be every conspiracy theorist’s favourite spooky arm of the state, and there are 1000 of them costing £56 million a year, but even they do not claim, anywhere, to be a national civil force.
UPDATE: From a Mr Philip Sutton (former proprietor of Rail Express)
Forget the Cross Country 'Duff'...
Don't you remember this gem?
Good luck to my old press mates on Railway Magazine.
Eye salutes our brave Boys in Blue!
This piece of super sleuthing from the British Transport Police website:
POLICE APPEAL AFTER TRAIN STRIKES ABANDONED SHOPPING TROLLEY – AXMINSTER
Splendid policing from the BTP.
This from the Grauniad...
"He walked over and said: 'Do you know that young man?' I said no. He said: 'Fuck off, then. It's got nothing to do with you,'" Hinds said.
After insisting calmly that he was within his legal rights to remain, Hinds was first threatened with arrest and then marched across the station in handcuffs by two BTP policemen.
But why, when this alleged 'offence' took place in 2004, has it taken five years for Mr Hinds to receive justice?
Good effort though, errr... 'mislaying' the CCTV footage and all.
This from Police Oracle...
A British Transport Police officer investigating reports of suspected cable thieves near Langley Mill railway station, Derbyshire has been seriously assaulted by one of the suspects.
The incident occurred around 00:30 hours on Sunday, 27 September, after police reacted to a report of intruders lineside in the vicinity of Milnhay Road, some 300 yards south of Langley Mill station.
Anyone with information relating to this incident is urged to contact British Transport Police urgently on Freefone 0800 405040 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111
Let's raise a glass to the brave Boys in Blue!
This from the Daily Mail...
"Police chiefs were condemned last night after a £200,000 investigation was launched into two officers who shared five bottles of Vimto they found by a railway line."
The Eye commends their bravery...
Having seen what people put in bottles and then discard about the railway.
This from the Sun via Police News...
The BTP detective who keeps the 'Police Reporting UFO Sightings' database is convinced there is life on another planet...
Here's a special Railway Eye tip for any of our enthusiast friends bullied by petty officials whilst taking photos at stations.
Just say you're helping the BTP with their little green men enquiries!
*** British Transport Police chief constable Ian Johnston is to investigate police handling of the inquiry which led to the search of Damian Green's House of Commons office.***
The Fact Compiler had occasion to read Hello! magazine today and was delighted to see so many people who are famous, for being famous.
Good news, therefore, from the Department for Transport.
Today Lord Adonis announced that he had appointed "Millie Banerjee as Chair and Member of the British Transport Police (BTP) Authority".
The press release continued:
"Millie Banerjee CBE is experienced at Board level with a very strong track record in operations management, consumer service and Human Resources policy, mainly in the communications sector."
"She is presently a Board member of Ofcom, and recently Chair of Postwatch until it merged with Consumer Focus. She is also a Trustee of the Peabody Trust. Previously Millie has had numerous non-Executive Director positions on public bodies, including one in the Strategic Rail Authority and one with the Cabinet Office Strategy Board."
But the press release is too modest.
For in Notes to Editors we read:
Millie remains a Non-Executive Board member of Consumer Focus, for which she is paid £29k
As well as being a Non-Executive Board Member of Ofcom, for which she receives £53k
This on top of her role at the BTP Authority for which she now receives £32,100.00 per annum.
In total ministers have appointed her into roles that grant an income of over £114k a year!
Max Clifford has to be at the bottom of this somewhere.
*** RMT demanding an apology from transport police after two track workers arrested in connection with the Grayrigg crash and kept under caution for eleven months were finally cleared today.***
Read the RMT release here
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