WHY did the Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Sara Thornton hold a ‘headmistress’-style prize giving award ceremony to commend those ‘living’ retired police officers for their part in the investigation of the Great Train Robbery 50 years ago ?
It beggars belief as to why she hosted such an event at Eynsham Hall, where 80 persons were entertained at ratepayers’ expense and in the presence of the Police and Crime Commissioner Anthony Stansfield.
The Great Train Robbery (GTR) was a rather bungled affair according to authors Nick Russell-Pavier and Stewart Richards.
They point out that the first police officer to arrive at the scene in August 1963 was an Inspector Mellows, who contacted Aylesbury Police Station and indicated that they should turn out the whole of the Buckinghamshire constabulary.
The same solitary officer requested that roadblocks be immediately set up, dogs join the hunt and neighbouring police forces be alerted.
Inspector Mellows also recommended that isolated farms and buildings be searched. Had this officer’s instructions been followed, the investigation would have been concluded within days, if not hours.
The officer ‘initially’ in charge was Det Supt Malcolm Fewtrell, who alerted the media too quickly which resulted in the perpetrators at Leatherslade Farm to move out of the hideaway before they had intended to do so. This location only came to notice after an informant of Det Inspector Densham, head of Oxfordshire Constabulary CID, pinpointed the area of the farm.
It was down to Densham’s call to the Aylesbury Police, on August 12, that the following day, Sgt Blackman and Constable John Woodley were sent to the farm and discovered the thieves had left.
The local constabulary also failed to spot Bruce Reynolds, who stated that he walked 6.5 miles along the main B4011 road into Thame without a visible police patrol being seen.
After the investigation of the GTR, the Bucks Chief Constable Brigadier Cheney must have considered to commend certain officers himself for their input into the probe which would obviate the need for Ms Thornton to regurgitate her commendations on the anniversary and spend ratepayers’ money in this way.
Perhaps Police Commissioner Stansfield has not got a grip of his job in controlling the budget of his cohorts but enjoys the publicity that both Ms Thornton and himself get out of these unnecessary functions as publicised on local TV and in the Oxford Mail (August 9).
MICHAEL RHYMES
Mill End
Kidlington
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