Three Litre
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Post by Three Litre on Apr 10, 2021 18:58:37 GMT
There's a interesting looking documentary on BBC2 on the 14 April at 9pm, Bent Coppers: Crossing the Line of Duty, that looks interesting, about corruption in the Met in the 70's when Rober Mark was the Commisioner.
By coincidence I just read an unrelated book called Bent Coppers by Norman Pilcher who was in the drugs squad then and fell foul of the system and got stitched up and went inside, also good.
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Cartman
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Post by Cartman on Apr 10, 2021 19:10:49 GMT
The Met was notorious for being bent, it went all the way back to the 50s, probably earlier. Some bloke called Challenor was head of some squad or other, can't remember which, and he was convicted for planting evidence. West End Central and the Vice squad were also heavily into bribes.
I seem to remember Mark cleaning it up a bit in the 70s
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Lord Emsworth
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Apr 10, 2021 19:29:02 GMT
There's a interesting looking documentary on BBC2 on the 14 April at 9pm, Bent Coppers: Crossing the Line of Duty, that looks interesting, about corruption in the Met in the 70's when Rober Mark was the Commisioner. By coincidence I just read an unrelated book called Bent Coppers by Norman Pilcher who was in the drugs squad then and fell foul of the system and got stitched up and went inside, also good. Looking forward to this series - right up my street
VHS is all set to record the lot
Norman Pilcher aka Semolina Pilchard from I Am The Walrus? Notorious for fitting up rock stars in the late 60s and also told by an Old Bailey judge that he had “poisoned the wells of British justice”
Pilcher ended up behind bars for four years for perjury
Bent as a nine bob note no mattter what he might claim now
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Sparky
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Post by Sparky on Apr 10, 2021 19:31:56 GMT
The Met was notorious for being bent, it went all the way back to the 50s, probably earlier. Some bloke called Challenor was head of some squad or other, can't remember which, and he was convicted for planting evidence. West End Central and the Vice squad were also heavily into bribes. I seem to remember Mark cleaning it up a bit in the 70s Wasn't Challenor on the Flying or Vice Squad? Vice Squad had Soho sewn up well and truly.
It was all that with Kenneth Drury (then head of Flying Squad) and James Humphries - the Porn baron that blew it into the open.
World in Action did a documentary on it around 1980 - the heading says that the film was banned? Not sure if it was - or if it was aired.
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Lord Emsworth
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Apr 10, 2021 19:41:44 GMT
After six years, and at a cost of over £4 million, Operation Countryman presented its findings
Over 250 police officers were forced to resign and many faced criminal charges after investigations revealed that police membership of some Masonic lodges formed the nucleus of a criminal conspiracy Questions in Parliament have requested the release of the findings of Operation Countryman but these have been denied and are protected by public interest immunity (aka Crown privilege). Probably be released in 2050 or something when anyone involved is long gone.
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Sparky
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Post by Sparky on Apr 10, 2021 20:02:43 GMT
Questions in Parliament have requested the release of the findings of Operation Countryman but these have been denied and are protected by public interest immunity (aka Crown privilege). Probably be released in 2050 or something when anyone involved is long gone. Without a doubt.
Slightly off topic. In 1974, Yorkshire Television began shooting a documentary series about kids who ran away from home, and ended up on London. It was called "Johnny Go Home". As shooting progressed, the Director soon realized he was making another documentary and uncovered some pretty nasty goings on with these homeless kids being preyed on and ending up in Peadophile Rings.
The (then) government tried to get it pulled from transmission. YTV (across ITV) broadcast the 2 part film in July 1975 - and a bucket of maggots kicked over. The follow up "Whatever happened to Johnny Go Home" - ran in to legal issues. The first film won a BAFTA, both films never been repeated - and were taken from the YTV / ITV archives.
Both films raised points about Police corruption, and high ranking officials turning a blind eye to what was going on in various hostals - mainly because the Peadophile ring was (said) to involve high ranking MPs, Judges, Police Officers, Celebrities.
Thames TV suffered similar issues with their film "Death on the Rock" - that contributed to them losing their Licence and being put out of business.
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Three Litre
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Post by Three Litre on Apr 10, 2021 20:05:07 GMT
After six years, and at a cost of over £4 million, Operation Countryman presented its findings
Over 250 police officers were forced to resign and many faced criminal charges after investigations revealed that police membership of some Masonic lodges formed the nucleus of a criminal conspiracy Questions in Parliament have requested the release of the findings of Operation Countryman but these have been denied and are protected by public interest immunity (aka Crown privilege). Probably be released in 2050 or something when anyone involved is long gone. Yes that was very dodgy. Very few people were actually charged I think. Thatcher increased police pay early on to try and stop that amount of corruption. As for Pilcher, the book had a lot of detail about want went on and Robert Mark's failings. As to was he guilty or not, I've only got his side of the story. Freemasonry was at play big time. They really wanted Vic Kelaher not Pilcher, and missed him. Seems dodgy as well to me. I wouldn't trust what the judges say, Lord Denning couldn't accept that the police weren't at fault in the case of Birmingham Six and therefore wouldn't allow their appeal.
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Nightfly
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Post by Nightfly on Apr 10, 2021 21:27:52 GMT
In 1974, Yorkshire Television began shooting a documentary series about kids who ran away from home, and ended up on London. It was called "Johnny Go Home". As shooting progressed, the Director soon realized he was making another documentary and uncovered some pretty nasty goings on with these homeless kids being preyed on and ending up in Peadophile Rings.
The (then) government tried to get it pulled from transmission. YTV (across ITV) broadcast the 2 part film in July 1975 - and a bucket of maggots kicked over. The follow up "Whatever happened to Johnny Go Home" - ran in to legal issues. The first film won a BAFTA, both films never been repeated - and were taken from the YTV / ITV archives.
I remember seeing this back in 1975. I seem to recall that the young lad from Scotland ended up in a hostel run by a chap who gave himself the title of Bishop of Medway, despite there being no such title and him not being a bishop. Indeed he had a string of abuse convictions in his past and was still being convicted of similar offences in the late 90s. I was unaware there was a follow up and the original two part programme seems to be available at BFI Screen Online but you have to access it via a library or educational establishment. It doesn't seem to be available anywhere else online.
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Three Litre
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Post by Three Litre on Apr 10, 2021 21:32:49 GMT
I remember seeing this back in 1975. I seem to recall that the young lad from Scotland ended up in a hostel run by a chap who gave himself the title of Bishop of Medway, despite there being no such title and him not being a bishop. Indeed he had a string of abuse convictions in his past and was still being convicted of similar offences in the late 90s.
I was unaware there was a follow up and the original two part programme seems to be available at BFI Screen Online but you have to access it via a library or educational establishment. It doesn't seem to be available anywhere else online. Roger Gleaves, must be 88 if he's still alive.
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Nightfly
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Post by Nightfly on Apr 10, 2021 21:46:39 GMT
I was unaware there was a follow up and the original two part programme seems to be available at BFI Screen Online but you have to access it via a library or educational establishment. It doesn't seem to be available anywhere else online. Roger Gleaves, must be 88 if he's still alive. He was still around in 2016 according to the Mail who ran an article about him living opposite a school.
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