The three-man tent cost £100 and was donated to vagrant Justin Hicks, 35, by members of We Are Witney.Ahhh, the ‘Big Society’ in action! How noble.
And how ultimately futile…
Mr Hicks had been sleeping in the tent behind the Windrush Leisure Centre, in Witan Way, for a week.*sigh*
The leisure centre contacted police and two PCSOs removed the tent on Tuesday.
The majority of the tent was found by the leisure centre’s bins, but some poles were found in the bin itself.
Thames Valley Police admitted yesterday that clearing material from private property was not a police matter.Well, that’s OK, it wasn’t ‘real’ police that did this, was it?
Inspector Helen Roberts, of Witney police, said: “The police received a call from the Windrush Leisure Centre on Tuesday regarding a tent that had been pitched on their land behind the centre for a week and the rubbish accumulating around it.It wasn’t just ‘dismantled’, according to Mr Hicks; it was broken, and his Bible and medication were missing. If it had been a Koran, would it have similarly gone missing, I wonder?
“There were no personal belongings or occupier with the tent and enquiries to find an owner proved negative so it was dismantled and placed at the location for the owner to collect later.”
Police spokesman Adam Fisher said: “In hindsight this does not really appear to be a police issue.”No, indeed. So, what compensation will you be paying the people who bought the tent for Mr Hicks, and what action will you be taking to discipline your fakeofficers?
But it IS a police issue. Their helpers vandalised and stole someone's belongings from private land.
ReplyDeleteYet they can't help a homeowner with squatters.
What Woodsy42 said.
ReplyDeleteHow is it that things are 'a civil matter' when the police don't want to get involved, but they are quite happy to stick a size 9 in on identical grounds when it suits them?
Its almost as if the law doesn't exist........correction, it IS as if the law doesn't exist.
ALso what Woodsy42says + many of the commenters. He'd have been better off outside ST Paul's. No opportunity to refer the homeless man to other agencies, a bit of real 'engagement' would have been nice. Morons!
ReplyDeleteInteresting to compare the technical quality of the comments in the local press between this story, set near Oxford, and the previous Boult story set in Leek, which can be regarded as up the road from the Stoke on Trent.
ReplyDeleteIt takes about 3 hours to drive from one to the other (including stop for coffee) but you'd think it was a different country from the standards of the language.
Mind you, Oxford could slip quickly if it isn't careful.
A three man tent for one person ? Yet some say old people should be evicted from their homes for being as greedy.
ReplyDeleteI wish these lefty do-gooders would make their minds up...
I'm sure they'll find some reason to ASBO him if he kicks up a fuss.
ReplyDeleteWhen the idea of 'Blunkett's Bouncers' was aired all those years ago the regular Police warned of the consequences.
ReplyDeleteThere are some very good PCSOs that never make the papers, but a failing PCSO system has been made to work to save the blushes of the architects of the scheme
"Yet they can't help a homeowner with squatters."
ReplyDeleteExactly!
"Interesting to compare the technical quality of the comments in the local press between this story, set near Oxford, and the previous Boult story set in Leek.."
Oh, indeed! I can only assume the denizens of Leek never realise they can comment on stories not located in their surroundings...
"I wish these lefty do-gooders would make their minds up..."
:D
"...a failing PCSO system has been made to work to save the blushes of the architects of the scheme"
It's about time it was wound up. Another thing the ConDems have failed to do.
Why did the staff at the leisure centre feel the need to contact the police in the first place?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, since Blair was elected and ASBO became a national treasure and by-word for passing the buck....the police have had to deal with this crap.
Hence any problem and the first port of call is the police. The standards of legal training is piss poor to say the least but at least everyones diversity was respected in this case. That is what this country's elected representatives have turned the police into, so blame them and not the police.
Personally i would have told the staff to treat it as found property which they can hold onto pending the chap coming forward. Shame the people who collected the money for his tent didn't allow him to settle in their garden(s). That would be a bit more charitable than saying here's a tent now bugger off !!!!