Benice Ryley, 61, was quizzed by six officers after police received an anonymous complaint about The White Hart Inn in Grays, Essex.
She and husband Chris, 64, who is currently abroad, had displayed their collection of 15 dolls after receiving them as gifts from customers over the years.
Dolls..? Well, yes, they are creepy, with their dead eyes and blank stares (rather like Essex coppers, come to think of it!) but does it require a police res...
Oh.
On Tuesday, Essex Police raided the pub and confiscated the dolls, saying they were investigating a 'hate crime'. They also took a book about the history of golliwogs.
CCTV shows six officers walk into the bar and question Mrs Ryley at a table. One inspects the bar before taking the dolls and putting them in an evidence bag.
Why? Did they swab them? Get them forensically examined? Is this the first such complaint?
Reader, it is not:
The raid comes after the couple refused to remove the black-faced dolls after the local authority received a complaint in 2018.
Thurrock Council launched an investigation after a whistleblower claimed the golliwogs were offensive and represent a racially aggravated crime. But Mr Ryley said the dolls were 'here to stay' and his no nonsense approach paid off after the council confirmed no further action will be taken.
So what happened in the last five years? Or has it taken that long for Essex plod to reach the bottom of the paperwork pile?
Mrs Ryley said today: 'I don't understand why we have to go through all this again.'
Because the progressives don't like to lose, Mrs Ryley.
'We have the police taking away information that is literally the history of this country. And why?
'We are quite happy to call them dolls, not golliwogs, but even the officer who wrote down the inventory as he was taking them away described the larger one as a golliwog and the others as golly dolls.
'So even the police don't know what to call them. I understand that some people may not like them and they are entitled to that view, but they don't have to come into the pub.
'As far as we are aware we are not breaking any laws by displaying them, and that was proved last time when we were investigated. If we were not breaking the law then, why are we breaking the law now?'
A very good question. One that Essex plod should have to answer.
A spokesman for Essex Police said: 'We are investigating an allegation of hate crime in Grays reported to us on 24 February.
'On Tuesday, 4 April, we attended a location off Argent Street, Grays, and seized several items in connection with our investigation.'
Pointlessly. Don't you have better things to do?
My heart sank when I saw this story. I knew you would pick it up Julia.
ReplyDeleteIt's an embarrassment and the worst thing about it is there will be a team meeting of the senior management patting themselves on the back over this.
Jaded
Who are the people likely to complain? I assume they are those that are illegal in the country for a start and why is plod getting involved? Maybe a good solicitor should take plod to the cleaners and make each one pay, not taking the money from the taxpayers.
ReplyDelete"Don't you have better things to do?"
ReplyDeleteThey do, but that would mean messing around with the newly imported locals, like the Albanian drug gangs or Mohammedan child rapists all of which could get them killed or more worryingly accused of "Hate Crimes" like xenophobia or Islamophobia.
Sending the boys (and girls) around over a bunch of Gollywogs not only counts as dealing with crime, but "HAAAAYYYYTTTTEEE CRYME" none the less. Right at the top of the Chief Constables agenda.
As has been said repeatedly. Sack 'em all sans pension and compo.
Plus Lions.
Six officers to investigate an anonymous complaint and carry away fifteen gollies. Rather gives the lie to them being under manned.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it is coincidence that they raided the pub when the husband was away?
"Who are the people likely to complain?"
ReplyDeletePound to a penny the complainant was a white wokist.
"They also took a book about the history of golliwogs. "
ReplyDeleteMaybe they should read it
"My heart sank when I saw this story. I knew you would pick it up Julia."
ReplyDeleteEveryone picked it up, Jaded!
"Who are the people likely to complain?"
I think we all know who...
"As has been said repeatedly. Sack 'em all sans pension and compo.
Plus Lions."
Spot on!
"Maybe they should read it"
Or get someone to do it for them...