Guilty - not us m'Lud

A driver, scared by the antics of a car which chased him for 7 miles on a motorway, dialled 999 and reported the incident to the police.

The advice he received was to stop because he was being pursued by police officers.

Now Strathclyde Police have been heavily criticised  by the Police Complaints Commissioner who has  declared that the stop was not legal.

The police vehicle concerned was unmarked, did not have any visual or audible warning systems and the officers within were not in uniform.

After stopping the car the plain clothed officers went on to question the driver while their cars sat on the hard shoulder of the motorway.

The Commissioner reminded the force that under the Road Traffic Act, only uniformed officers can require a vehicle to stop

He also cited guidance from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO)  which prohibits the use of unmarked vehicles that do not have audible or visual warning equipment.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

We cannot and will not accept that the officers acted illegally or without any legal basis”

Dep Chief Constable Campbell CorriganStrathclyde Police

Further, Police Complaints Commissioner for Scotland, Professor John McNeill, described the way Strathclyde Police handled three out of four complaints from the man as "poor". He went on to say "I am happy to say that this man's experience is not typical of what I have seen elsewhere in Scotland".

However, a senior officer from Strathclyde Police has stated that the force "cannot and will not accept that the officers acted illegally or without any legal basis", that they believed "this assertion to be wrong", although they did admit that "The officers did act outwith ACPO guidelines"

Apparently the Strathclyde officers considered the manner of the man's driving of greater risk to the public than their chasing him on the motorway.

Links to this story

• BBC website http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-17770342
• Manchester Wired  http://www.manchesterwired.co.uk/news.php/1423303-Strathclyde-Police-car-pursuit-on-motorway-was-illegal
• Scottish Law Reporter  http://scottishlaw.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/strathclyde-police-vehicle-stop-had-no.html
• Daily Record  http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2012/04/19/strathclyde-police-blasted-over-high-speed-chase-where-unmarked-car-pursued-scared-driver-for-seven-miles-86908-23830114/
• STV  http://local.stv.tv/glasgow/304031-help-999-im-being-followed-by-a-speeding-car-yes-we-know-its-us/
• Evening Times  http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/mobile/news/drivers-terror-as-cops-follow-him-for-7-miles.17356993

Comment

The attitude of Strathclyde Police to the Police Commissioner and his report displays the same arrogance they show in the case of applicants to the force who have colour vision which differs from the "norm".   Colour vision in recruitment is a matter set in law by the Police Regulations and a determination of the Scottish Ministers.   Yet Strathclyde Police continue to claim that they can ignore the law and make make up their own discriminatory standards. 

Killie man sues cops

 - from the Kilmarnock Standard January 2011

A Kilmarnock man who was rejected by Scotland's biggest police force for being colour blind is suing the Chief Constable for sex discrimination.

Graeme McCullie, 31, along with Robin Dixon, 28, from Hamilton, began his case against Strathclyde Police on Tuesday.

Both men applied to join the force and went through a rigorous selection process. However they were told they were unsuitable to join the force because of their colour blindness.

The pair who are pursuing their case before employment judge Paul Cape, claim Strathclyde Police's decision is discriminatory because more men than women suffer from the condition.

Yesterday evidence began in the case, which is being contested by Strathclyde Police. The force claims people who are colour blind could not carry out some police duties.

The first witness was Dr Sushma Acquilla who was appearing as a witness for the two claimants.

She gave technical evidence relating to the number of people in the population who suffer from colour blindness.

But after a number of questions the case was halted by employment judge Cape because the statistics she referred to related to the world and not specifically to Scotland.

Mr Dixon has previously a disability discrimination claim against Strathclyde Police in a failed application in November 2006.

The complaint was rejected by a Glasgow employment tribunal in August 2006 on the grounds it was time-barred.

Mr Dixon then discovered he may be able to pursue an indirect sexual discrimination case after reading of a case in England of a colour blind police officer who raised an action against Hertfordshire Constabulary.