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Police are victims of bizarre station thefts
action: Emma Boon
A police car and a plant pot are among a list of items stolen from police stations across Lancashire.
A Ford Galaxy patrol car was stolen from a police station in Carnforth with police documents revealing the suspect took the keys when they were left briefly unattended inside the station. The car was later recovered.
The green plastic pot and fern plant were among the haul of non-police equipment taken.
A privately-owned VW Bora worth £2,000 was taken from the police headquarters in Hutton, near Preston.
The thefts are included in a catalogue of incidents from the past five years across the country, revealed in a Freedom of Information Act request.
The thefts total hundreds of thousands of pounds and come at a time when police forces are facing cutbacks.
Lancashire Police is closing a number of police stations, including Fulwood, as part of efforts to shave £42m of its budget over the next four years.
It also shows two dogs, a terrier and a lurcher, seized as evidence, were stolen by a “known offender” who was attending a pre-arranged meeting with an RSPCA inspector at a police station in Blackburn.
And a civilian search officer stole a side handled baton, a pair of handcuffs and cash worth a total of £101.45 from lockers inside the Hutton headquarters.
Today, the TaxPayers’ Alliance called for an investigation into the figures.
Campaign director Emma Boon said: “The list of stolen items is truly astonishing and taxpayers will worry that police giving out crime prevention advice can’t seem to avoid being robbed themselves.
“Thefts from forces cost taxpayers money and all this equipment adds up to a big bill that could be reduced.
“There must be a full investigation into what has happened to these items as in some instances it seems that security has been compromised at police stations.
“At a time when money is tight police can’t afford for expensive kit to just disappear.”
Elsewhere, some of the more bizarre items stolen include a packet of six Sunblest crumpets worth 50p from Priory Road police station in Hull, a small fridge from Dunstable police station and a £20 mannequin from Essex Police’s kennels at Epping, In West Mercia, a 20-pack of toilet rolls vanished, coffee worth £2.50 was taken from Byker police station in Newcastle, a cap badge from an officer’s hat was stolen at Widnes police station, and at Basildon police station someone nabbed a copy of Miller’s Guide to Affordable Antiques, worth £5.
At Hucknall police station in Nottinghamshire, a £1 cereal bowl with a sheep pattern was taken, along with an empty lunchbox worth £3.
In December 2008 six pints of semi-skimmed milk were taken from Cambridgeshire Police HQ in Huntington. They were worth £2.52.
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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Comments
There are 5 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Ruglonian
Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 09:09 PMI am amazed at the skill of these fearless and intrepid reporters who get these fantastic stories -Journalism at its best. Sorry –sarcasm is the lowest form of wit but I can’t help it with these garbage stories. FOI requests for this sort of trivia are a waste of any public authority’s time and money. Someone has to be paid to this research and send it out. Surely this isn’t what the act was introduced for. Anyway, I suppose it gives lazy journalists a job. Get the FOI request back then contact the Tax-payers Alliance for a quote. Easy Peasy
Herbert Birdsfoot
Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 02:02 PMNo Emma Boon, let's investigate The TaxPayers’ Alliance instead. Start with Alexander Heath, a director of the group who lives in France and has not paid UK tax since 1973. Or the lobby group's close ties to the Tea Party movement in the US, among other ideologically scary zealots. Then let's find out why allegedly impartial and moderate newspapers continue to give the balther of these nutters such massive credence.
katieb123
Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 11:59 AMSod that, how about finding my wheely bin?! Twice I've had one swiped now!!
Micky Norcross
Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 11:43 AMEmma boon, who is she and what is she going on about? The "thefts" are strange and concerning, admittedly, and would appear to be prior to the huge savings that the police now have to make, so what do the thefts have to do with the savings? I have to agree totally with post one re the brew stuff!!! Emma Boon, why not investigate the fact that £1.5 million at least were spent on fireworks in London to celebrate the New Year, not to mention the thousands of stewards and other staff needed to facilitate this, at a time when severe cutbacks are taking place. Now there's an idea for you.
getagriponlife
Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 09:41 AM"In December 2008 six pints of semi-skimmed milk were taken from Cambridgeshire Police HQ in Huntington. They were worth £2.52." - I can not believe someone has reported this. It is clearly the brew stuff that has been used from the staff fridge. Someone has gone to the fridge and found their milk has been used and reported it as stolen!!!! Unbelievable.
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