Month: May 2022

A piece of history this week.

British Transport Police  are the first police force in the UK to deploy special constabulary officers (“Specials”) in England and Wales with Taser devices.

On Friday 27 May, some BTP Specials were on duty across the country carrying Taser to further assist them in keeping the public, rail staff and themselves safe. The rollout comes as the force responds to risks around terrorism, public safety and public order offences across the railway. The first cohort of 22 Specials have all successfully completed a three-day training course on the device’s use alongside Police Constables.

Special Chief Officer (and BTPHG member), Ben Clifford, said: “I’m delighted that we are able to be the first force in the country to operationally deploy Specials equipped with Taser. Our Specials are exposed to the exact same risks as regular officers and are a vital part of our frontline workforce. Allowing them to carry the device is a positive step both in recognising the skills and competence of our part-time, volunteer officers and further strengthens our commitment to ensuring the railway is a safe environment for passengers and rail workers.

“We regularly deal with incidents a considerable distance from back-up in remote locations, and Taser has a critical place in protecting the public and officers as a less lethal device. Around one third of BTP officers are trained to carry Tasers and our Specials have received same comprehensive training as regular officers.”

 

Source: BTP

H/T to Bill Rogerson for spotting this story.

 

This week saw the 20th anniversary (10th May 2002) of the railway accident at Potters Bar. This horrific incident killed seven people and injured more than 70 others.

BTP officers and staff attended in large numbers. Many of those in attendance were veterans of earlier major incidents and terrorist attacks and many went on to attend further large incidents in the years that followed.

The work of the officers at the scene and during the subsequent investigation received considerable, and well-deserved praise. The liaison with other agencies, including the Hertfordshire Constabulary and Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate was first class.

BTP officers were on scene very quickly. The early declaration of a Major Incident by Hertfordshire meant that everybody was aware of the scale of what had happened. Control of the inner cordon and crime scene was passed to the force very quickly.

Considerable support was given by other forces and by what is now the College of Policing. Sue Maxfield, the force welfare officer, led the arrangements for the welfare of officers. BTP Health and Safety officers and the force/railway chaplains helped as the incident extended over several days. There was extensive involvement with the local community.

Officers in command roles included A/CI Mick Burnham, Insp Paul Hatton, Supt Tony McDonnel, CI John O’Donnel, Ch Supt Peter Hilton, Insp Duncan Manners and Ch Supt David Hatcher and many others. Supt Paul Crowther and DI Alistair Lawson were key figures in the investigation. As always, the BTP POLSAs and search teams did great work, as did those who worked on Family Liaison with the Hertfordshire Constabulary. The Control Room and Scientific Support performed to a very high standard.

Network Rail were convicted of Health and Safety failings nine years later and were fined £3M.

There was a service at a local church on the anniversary: 10th May 2022, The Church of Our Lady and St Vincent, Potters Bar, Herts.

Phil Trendall (Chair)

 

Note:
Many BTP officers were involved in the response to this major incident. The names given above are from the memory of one BTPHG member and represents a fraction of the complete list. We wish to increase our record of these major events. Official histories often miss out, or under represent, the role played by BTP. If you were a serving officer or member of police staff and were involved in any major incident, including Potters Bar, during your service please consider committing your memories to paper. Your accounts of what actually happened on the ground, including what affect it had on you will help future generations understand the work of the BTP in the second half of the 20th and early 21st centuries. We exist to preserve our history and, as we all know, witness evidence is amongst the best there is. Anything you produce can be kept in our archive collections.

On Friday 29th April 2022, a plaque was unveiled to commemorate those who died at York Railway Station during the Baedeker Air Raid eighty years ago.

PC Robert Smith and William Milner (Station Foreman) are named on the plaque.

After the unveiling a service involved a speech by the managing director of LNER, a poem read by Inspector Mary-Anne Snowden (BTP York), a biography of those who died was given by John Shaw of the Raids Over York project, and a poem read by Ken Cooke, a Normandy veteran.

The event involved the York Civic Trust, London and North Eastern Railway, and the Raids Over York heritage project.

The Sheriff of York and the Lord Mayor of York were also in attendance.

 

In 2017, on the 75th anniversary, the History Group held a memorial tribute to PC Robert Smith at his gravesite. The tribute was attended by members of his family.

Robert, aged 64 years, was killed during the early hours of the morning of the 29th April 1942, during the biggest raid by the Luftwaffe carried out on York in World War Two. He was on duty in the police office when it took a direct hit.

 

BBC Yorkshire also covered the event on their website:
Tributes mark 80th anniversary of York Baedeker raid

Also see the BTPHG Second World War Roll of Honour.

Sources include the Railway Heritage Trust and the York Civic Trust Twitter feeds.
H/T to John Owen and Tony Haigh for spotting this.