Crime Stop! Issue 1 South Edition

ISSUE 1 2016 www.crime-stop.co.uk
CRIME
STOP!
On-line Digital Magazine
ISSUE 1 2016
ON
LEAVING
THE
POLICE
- A personal guide by
A.C.C. Ian MacDonald
But I Would Walk
500 Miles....
Peter Garrett decided to re-visit his Scottish
roots by moving there to live. Here he discusses
some of the differences he’s experienced.
PLUS
Businesses Should
Use 4G Rather Than
Wi-fi In Public Places
The act is here:
shut up shop and get
out of town
The Police Treatment
Centres – a force for
promoting health
and wellbeing
SOUTH
edition

Hello
and welcome
to the very first
issue of the
CRIME STOP!
On-line Digital
magazine.
Crimestop Digital is a
new online policing magazine
created distinctly for serving
and retired police officers,
incorporated with the support
staff and policing family.
Crimestop Digital has
something extraordinary
to offer…
This digital magazine is an
influential publication that
will keep you thoroughly
engaged and will highlight
aspects on healthy eating,
fitness, hobby activities and
keep you inspired on the
perfect getaways.
It’s the primary lifestyle
publication which is adhered
to focus on those who are
associated in the modern
police service and its
extended family.
Being an exclusive magazine in
terms of readership, scope and
delivery, the magazine embraces
editorial and articles of the highest
standard written by professionals
from both within and outside
the police service.
05
CONTENTS
Wake Up:Tackling
Tired Driver Crashes...
Tired driving is endemic.
It causes sudden and violent
deaths and horrific injuries
that devastate families and
cost our economy millions
of pounds.
09
Quitting Smoking
Sweeps The Nation As
Stoptober Returns
Smokers across the country
are being urged to take part in
Stoptober (the mass quitting
challenge from Public Health
England (PHE) starting on 1
October) and join nearly 15
million people who have
already quit.
Address
Suite 105
The Malthouse Business Centre,
48 Southport Road,
Ormskirk, West Lancs, L39 1QR
Registration No. 9752055.
13
On Leaving
The Police
Ian MacDonald was in the
Police from 1971 till 2002, with
spells as an advisor to the
Jamaican Government and a
Europol Observer of the South
African Police during the election
of Nelson Mandela.
19
Businesses Should
Use 4G Rather Than
Wi-fi In Public Places
It has been demonstrated by
technology experts how easily
data can be extracted through
Wi-Fi, even if it has been
secured with a password.
21
Can Anyone Help Shed
Light On Pc Moses
Barber – Died 1853 ?
Chief Constable Dave
Thompson has laid flowers to
mark the anniversary of a police
officer who died over 150 years
ago aged 40.
Tel: 0800 825 0091
General Enquiries: info@policingportaluk.com
Accounts: creditcontrol@policingportaluk.com
Design: studio@policingportaluk.com
Front Cover: https://pixabay.com/en/glass-broken-fragmented-hole-crack-1497227/
BUT I
Pete
police fo
to re-v
there
of t
It's roughly 330 miles
Liverpool, but it may
culture, attitude and
so unequivocally diff
places. So, what's th
Well, for the purpos
PLDUK, it happens
as a bobby in Sout
of twenty five year
of events that liter
past eleven years
longer in “the Polis
locally though) on
Scotland.
I'm often asked h
settle in Ardrisha
bore the life out
minute detail of
suffice to say th
me and the hig
can't in all hone
voracity of the
gran’pappy, on

OULD WALK
27
500 MILES...
23
The act is here:
The tradition of jotting shut up shop and get
everything down in a out of town
well-thumbed pocket
In August 2015, I came
notebook is set to become across an advertisement
a thing of the past for
that both surprised and
Bedfordshire Police officers. intrigued me.
After decades of use it is to be
replaced by an electronic version
that forms part of an application
called tuServ.
25
New Think! Campaign To
Improve Cyclists’ Safety
Cyclists urged to hang back
from lorries to cut the number
of crashes and improve
cycling safety.
ett was retired from the
e to ill health. He decided
Scottish roots by moving
. Here he discusses some
erences he’s experienced.
haig in Argyll to
million! Life,
e weather are
en the two
n?
ntribution to
ved and worked
or the best part
ollowing a series
my world, for the
and worked (no
nately known
st coast of
about that Ishould
t my intention to
y by going into
d wherefore’s but
blood link between
family story, and I
r the absolute
my great, great
ctor MacCulloch,
Highland Clearances
My erstwhile joy in climbing and walking in the
highlands, when I was younger and fitter of
course, was obviously ingrained in my heritage
though and the desire to return to my family
roots was always quite strong. When the
opportunity arose in circumstances that I could
never have imagined previously, I grasped it.
29
But I Would Walk
500 Miles....and
i would walk 500 more
Peter Garrett was retired from
the police force due to ill health.
He decided to re-visit his Scottish
roots by moving there to live.
Here he discusses some
of the differences he’s
experienced.
33
during the mid-19th Century when crofting and
simple agriculture were replaced by the more
profit based usage of the land in large scale My retirement from Merseyside Police came
sheep farming and gentrified hunting, shooting relatively quickly and unexpectedly. I was
and fishing estates. His wee patch of rented inveigled into seeing a welfare nurse for an over
ground in Lochaber, just further north from my 40’s “Well Man Clinic” to prevent her from thumb
current locale, was forcibly taken from him and twiddling in the parade room at Belle Vale police
his family by his Victorian landlord. As probably station and it soon became clear that certain
the only option open to him, Hector headed aspects of my physical health were ripe for
south to seek passage to a New World and a further scrutiny. Once my arthritic knees and
new life, the choice being either America or New dodgy eyesight were confirmed by Dr Ahmed,
Zealand. Fortunately for me I suppose, I am the Force Doctor, the writing was very much on
neither descended from a Yank nor a Kiwi as the wall. The decision to say “cheerio” to me was
Hector got stuck in a pub (on Scotland Road, confirmed when the orthopaedic surgeon in
Liverpool) and missed the boat! Hence my Rodney Street decided that I was not fit for
immediate forebears for three generations were operational duties and “driving a desk” at HQ
Liverpudlian.
was actually doing more harm than good to my
knees which needed regular gentle movement.
Sitting down all day was a no-no. So, less than
eighteen months after that initial diagnosis at
BV, I was handing in my uniform and warrant
card.
Anyway, enough of all that. What are the major
differences and what similarities are there
between my past and present existences?
The Police Treatment
Centres – a force for
promoting health
and wellbeing
The Police Treatment Centres
aims to be a Centre of Excellence
in the care and treatment of
both serving and retired police
officer patients suffering from
injury or illness.
37
Ever Thought
About Investing
In Property
Robert Johnson: Wondering
what to spend your lump sum on?
Thought about investing in property:
Why I’m a member of the National
Landlords Association
39
Ever thought about
fostering?
Here is a pub
quiz question for you;
What do the following have in
common:- Harry Potter, Tarzan,
Luke Skywalker, James Bond,
Paddington Bear, Bambi, John
Lennon, Moses and pretty much
any princess in any fairy tale?...
PLUS MORE
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Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
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Online at
www.crime-stop.co.uk

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P20

WAKE UP:
TACKLING TIRED
DRIVER CRASHES
Tired driving is endemic.
It causes sudden and violent
deaths and horrific injuries
that devastate families and
cost our economy millions
of pounds.
These deaths and injuries are
preventable. Brake is calling on the
Government to Wake up! and put an
end to drowsy driving.
The extent of the problem
Driving after insufficient sleep, or
failing to take regular breaks, is
lethal. Yet so many drivers risk it
with awful consequences.
According to research by Brake and
Cambridge Weight Plan, one in four
drivers admit embarking on a journey
when they already feel drowsy
1. Experts estimate that tired drivers
cause one in five fatal crashes on
motorways and other monotonous
trunk roads
2. Crashes caused by drivers falling
asleep at the wheel tend to be at
high-speed, because drivers
do not brake before crashing, so the
risk of death or serious injury is
greater than in other types of
collisions
3. The causes of tiredness while
driving are numerous and complex.
Factors that may contribute include
insufficient sleep, sleep disorders, the
amount of time spent driving, alcohol
and other drugs, and monotony
4. However, research shows that sleep
does not occur without warning. Signs
of tiredness include: increased
difficulty concentrating; yawning;
heavy eyelids; eyes starting to ‘roll’;
and neck muscles relaxing, making
the head droop.
If drivers experience these symptoms,
they should find somewhere safe to
rest as soon as possible, rather than
trying to fight off tiredness and
continue driving. Yet Brake and
Cambridge Weight Plan’s research
shows that in practice only one in
seven UK drivers follows best practice
advice on dealing with tiredness at the
wheel and more than one in four
continue their journey after they notice
the first signs of drowsiness
5. It only takes seconds of sleep to
cause a fatal crash when driving on
the motorway, but one in eight drivers
admit to ‘head-nodding’ at the wheel
in the past year
6. Head-nodding, referred to by
clinicians as ‘microsleeps’, occurs
when someone nods off to between
two and 30 seconds without realising
or remembering it. This occurs when
people are tired but are trying to stay
awake in order to continue their
journey, or because they cannot find a
safe place to pull over and rest.
Nodding off for just a few seconds at
the wheel can be fatal: if you are
driving at 70mph and nod off for six
seconds you would travel nearly 200
metres, which could take you across
three lanes of traffic and down an
embankment onto another road or
train track.
Risk Factors.
7. Driving while tired is particularly
prevalent among people who drive for
work, younger drivers and male
drivers. These groups are more likely
to choose to continue to drive when
tired and are more likely to crash as a
result. Research indicates that one in
three fatal crashes involving truck
drivers is due to tiredness
8. People who drive for work are more
likely to drive for long distances and
be under pressure to continue driving
when they feel tired, although
companies can prevent driver tiredness
by implementing comprehensive
policies and procedures to manage
and minimise the risks. Commercial
vehicle drivers are also more susceptible
to sleep disorders due to the
sedentary lifestyle that many lead.
Research by sleep specialists
suggests that up to 41% of HGV drivers
have a sleep disorder of some form,
with one in six suffering from severe
sleep apnoea requiring immediate
treatment
9. Sleep apnoea can cause daytime
sleepiness, and in some cases can
cause the sufferer to fall asleep
without warning. This means that
potentially 80,000 HGV drivers are
putting their own lives and the lives of
others at risk, probably in most cases
inadvertently, by driving on the road
while excessively sleepy
P5

10.Young drivers are also at increased
risk of tiredness at the wheel. One in
four young drivers admit to ‘head-nodding’
at the wheel at least once in the
last year compared to one in eight
drivers in the general population
11. Young drivers are also particularly
at increased risk of crashing because
of tiredness in combination with
alcohol between 12 midnight - 6am12.
They are also nearly twice as likely to
set off on a journey when they already
feel drowsy compared to the general
driving population. More than half
(55%) of young drivers admit doing
this, compared to 28% of all drivers
13. Too little sleep radically affects
your ability to drive safely and after
five hours’ sleep you only have a one
in ten chance of staying fully awake on
a lengthy journey
14. Gender is also a risk factor in
driving tired. In Brake and Cambridge
Weight Plan’s survey, one in six male
drivers admitted to ‘head-nodding’ at
the wheel in the past year compared to
one in 13 female drivers. Males are
also more likely to begin a journey
tired. In the last year, one in three
males got behind the wheel when they
were already feeling drowsy, compared
to one in four females
For more information on driver tiredness
visit www.brake.org.uk/-
facts/driver-tiredness.html
Wake up! campaign summary
Brake’s Wake up! campaign calls for
the following action by Government to
prevent and detect tired driving, and to
stop deaths and injuries caused by
drivers falling asleep at the wheel.
• Run widespread educational campaigns
warning of the dangers of
driving tired, stating what drivers can
do to prevent tired driving crashes, and
raising awareness about sleep
disorders such as Obstructive Sleep
Apnoea. Campaigns should target
at-risk groups such as young drivers,
commercial drivers and males.
• Require the National Institute for
Clinical Excellence to publish clinical
guidelines on the management of
sleep apnoea and similar disorders
to aid doctors in diagnosing and
treating the disorder.
• Introduce regular screening of
drivers, particularly people who drive
for work, for sleep apnoea, a medical
condition that makes falling asleep at
the wheel much more likely.
• Make traffic policing a national
policing priority, and ensure there are
more patrols to spot and stop weaving
vehicles driven by tired drivers.
• Introduce better and longer safety
barriers to minimise the consequences
of crashes caused by tired drivers on
motorway and trunk roads.
• Audit rest areas on motorways and
trunk roads, to ensure they provide
adequate provision for our road
network, enabling drivers to always
find somewhere to stop and rest.
• Extend rules controlling hours that
can be driven legally by large vehicle
drivers to fleet drivers in vans and
cars, and encourage companies to
use trains more instead of cars for
long distance journeys.
Brake’s Wake up!
campaign calls for the
following action by
Government to prevent
and detect tired driving,
and to stop deaths and
injuries caused by
drivers falling asleep
at the wheel.
For more information on driver tiredness visit
www.brake.org.uk/facts/driver-tiredness.html
image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alancleaver/2320257051
P6

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QUITTING SMOKING
SWEEPS THE NATION AS
STOP TOBER
RETURNS
Stoptober is back for a fifth year to
encourage the nation’s remaining
7 million smokers to quit together
this October.
Smokers across the country are
being urged to take part in Stoptober
(the mass quitting challenge from
Public Health England (PHE)
starting on 1 October) and join
nearly 15 million people who
have already quit.
Last year, out of the 2.5 million
smokers who made a quit attempt,
500,000 people (20%) were
successful; the highest recorded
success rate and up from just
13.6% 6 years ago.
This increase in successful stop
smoking attempts reflects the high
number of people using quitting
aids. In 2015, just over a million
people (1,027,000) used an
e-cigarette in a quit attempt while
around 700,000 used a licensed
nicotine replacement product such
as patches or gum. In addition,
over 350,000 people used their
local stop smoking service in
2015 to 2016.
Alongside this, according to the
latest data from Nielsen, the
number of cigarettes sold in
England and Wales has dropped
by 20% in the last 2 years.
The smoking rate in England has
also fallen to below 17% for the
first time. The biggest decreases
in smoking over the last 4 years
can be seen in the South West
(18.7% to 15.5%), the North East
(22% to 18.7%) and Yorkshire and
Humber (21.9% to 18.6%).
Dr Gina Radford, Deputy Chief
Medical Officer, said:
“While we know that quitting smoking
is not easy, this Stoptober is a perfect
time to try again. The best thing a
smoker can do for their health is to
stop smoking. There is more help and
support available now than ever before.
The introduction of standardised packs
removes the glamorous branding and
brings health warnings to the fore and
e-cigarettes, which many smokers find
helpful for quitting, are now regulated
to assure their safety and quality.
”We also have a range of free support
that can go direct to your phone, laptop
or tablet via the Stoptober app, a daily
email service or Facebook Messenger
bot. The new Stoptober website also
has advice and information on stop
smoking services and quitting aids.
Stoptober has helped lots of smokers
quit for 28 days and beyond. So if you
smoke, why not make this Stoptober the
time you quit - for good.”
”Stoptober is the perfect opportunity for
people to take action to protect their health
and join thousands of others who are also
making a quit attempt this month.”
Professor Kevin Fenton, National Director
of Health and Wellbeing for PHE said:
“While it is amazing that there are over
twice as many ex-smokers as current
smokers in England there are still over
7 million people regularly lighting up.
”Alongside unhealthy diet, smoking is the
biggest cause of preventable early
death in England, accounting for over
78,000 deaths a year. Quitters will soon
see they have reduced blood pressure,
easier breathing and better circulation.
Stopping smoking is the best thing a
smoker can do to improve their health.”
Ex-England cricketer and Question of
Sport captain, Phil Tufnell, comments:
“I’m really pleased to be supporting
Stoptober this year. I have smoked pretty
steadily since I was a teenager, even
through my cricket career. I have tried to
give up before and know how tough it is,
but I am going to try and quit again
from 1 October.
”Even if you have tried quitting before like
me and failed, just give it another go and
keep trying. The more you try to quit the
more likely you are to get there. Stoptober
is here to help, so let’s try and get through
to 28 days without a fag by taking it one
day at a time.”
Dr Mike Knapton, Associate Medical
Director at the British Heart Foundation,
said:
“Quitting smoking is the single best thing
you can do for your heart health. Coronary
Heart Disease is the UK’s single biggest
killer and by giving up smoking you’ll be
dramatically reducing your chances of
having a potentially deadly heart attack
or stroke.
”Stoptober is the perfect opportunity for
people to take action to protect their health
and join thousands of others who are also
making a quit attempt this month.”
Stoptober is back for a fifth year, having
driven almost a million quit attempts to date.
It starts on the 1 October and is based on
research that by the time you have quit for
28 days you are 5 times more likely
to stop for good.
For more information, search
‘Stoptober’ online
and choose the package of
support that will help you
quit for good.
P9

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ON LEAVING THE
POLICE
- A personal guide by
A.C.C. Ian MacDonald
Ian MacDonald was in the Police from 1971 till 2002, with spells
as an advisor to the Jamaican Government and a Europol Observer
of the South African Police during the election of Nelson Mandela.
He has worked for the foreign office in Venezuela (community relations,)
and Uruguay (combating police corruption). He denies having started
the Toxteth riots, the Messenger Works Dispute, the Miners' and
Dockers' Strikes and the terrorist threats to the Grand National and
the Liverpool docks, but he was in the thick of it when they took place.
He was also a Match Commander for Liverpool and Everton football
clubs and St Helens (rugby league). He retired at the rank of
Assistant Chief Constable
‘’I gave about as much thought to
leaving the job as I did to joining it,
which is not much.
This is a pattern that has persisted
throughout my life. I went to the
Quarry Bank Grammar School,
a fine institution but completely
wasted on me. At recent reunions
fellow students have told me that
I was disruptive and a poor footballer,
in goal or out and they could never
work out why or how I joined the job.
Ne change plus! I left school because
I struggled with ‘A’ levels, the most
difficult form of education I
A.CC. Ian MacDonald
encountered until I was sent on a
crash course to learn how to scrutinise
passports at airports during the
London Olympics - I failed it, comprehensively.
I went to work as an
assistant librarian at Liverpool University,
the first job I saw advertised.
It was near the town centre, so i
trudged up and down the hill to read
LP covers in record shops and finally
mastered the alphabet. This was
taking me nowhere, so I joined the
newly created National Giro Centre,
in Bootle. This was some type of giant
bank set up by the government and
since scrapped. It was full of relatively
unqualified teenagers who had
jumped at the chance to get a job with
decent pay and conditions, they were
managed by dedicated civil servants
who couldn’t believe what they got up
to. I took some kind of IQ test and
they put me in systems development,
where I pushed a trolley containing
huge and baffling print outs. The
social scene was fantastic, I ran a
disco on a Friday afternoon,
P13

played football for them midweek and
on Sundays, made lifelong mates and
repeatedly swore never to go to
Dino’s Nightclub on a Tuesday ever
again. However I came to realise that
this wasn’t for me. A new mate there
had worked the season in Spain,
and we hitch hiked out to Lloret and
spent a couple of weeks there. I didn’t
have the nerve to work the season
but I began to realise that there was
more to life than a trolley.
It took us three days to hitch home,
we nearly starved. Another mate,
the son of a policeman, thought he
had made his girlfriend pregnant and
decided to join the job for the money
and the security. His brother and
sister also joined and so too has his
son, they are one of many families
with a strong policing tradition.
It turned out that she wasn’t pregnant,
so they got divorced and she became
a doctor – so it goes.
I was the grandson of an Irish immigrant,
the MacDonalds, having been
chased out of Scotland, had
made their way to Ireland and then
bailed out of there to Toxteth. We
considered this to be progress.
None of my large and extended family
were in the police, it would never
have occurred to them to apply.
When I mentioned that I was thinking
of joining one of my many uncles said
‘once a policeman
never a man.’ My friends took the
news with quiet astonishment, some
of them never got over it.
I called in to the recruiting department,
and was interviewed by the
manager of the football team. My
mate whose girlfriend wasn’t pregnant
after all had been in the day before
and we both mentioned having played
for the same team.
He had also played for the
Merseyside, Liverpool and Everton
youth teams, I hadn’t. I was dragged
in anyway and flung into the second
team and we went to Bruche together.
My gifted mate soon became an
Inspector, and spent most of his
service in this most difficult of roles.
Gin, the Cabin nightclub
and three shifts prevented him from
reaching his full footballing potential -
I never had any anyway.
After a couple of years my Sergeant
asked me what I wanted to do in my
service. I replied that I would like
to be a detective. They had suits and
long hair. He instead told me that I
was to apply for the Special Course,
where I sat next to graduate entrants
who had been specially chosen to
transform the service - or not as the
case may be. I got the chance to go,
belatedly and unexpectedly to University,
returning to work just in time get
frightened during the Toxteth riots.
I eventually went back to the College
to develop the Special Course and
then went to the Caribbean
to replicate the program there - this
took several years. As time went by I
began to realise what I was
good at. Tragically it turned out that
when presented with a problem to
solve, I decided that it wasn’t the
problem and so the proposed solution
was wrong.
‘’Ian covered in paint, helping
ensure that a Toxteth rioter
makes it home before his mother
shouts at him. ‘’
I then suggested another solution, to
solve the different problem. This
incensed senior police officers, who
wanted me to do as I was told. I
ended up back at the College in
charge of professional development,
if I could find it.
One of my Superintendents suggested
that I should work as an associate
tutor on the Open University MA
P14

KEN
CAR
Football. It’s a
in strategy. I thought this was
because he thought I was very good
at strategy, but once I did some work
with them I realised that he had
nudged me into this role because
I knew nothing about it at all.
I soon entered into constant conflict
with the newly appointed head of
national police training, a man who
had previously worked in
management for the NHS.
I found his use of consultants he knew
from his time in the NHS, to do my job
for me, irritating - they truly didn’t
know what they were doing.
I resigned as soon as it made financial
sense. Had I hung on a few months I
was have outlived his reign, as he left
after some hostile scrutiny of his use
of consultants.
I was retained to redesign the Strategic
Command Course. Enlightened by
my work with the OU, I created a
course which survived more or less
intact for years,
as no one, including me, understood
the problem it was meant to solve.
After several months as one of the
many consultants used by the ex NHS
head - unemployment loomed.
I got another job by ringing an ex
colleague in the Met, who brought me
down to write a strategy for their
human resources, which were also in
a confused state.
As this came to an end I saw an
advert for the job of robbery reduction
manager in Liverpool, applied for it
and got it. Things were going
swimmingly.
I was in touch with recent workmates
who could use me to do things I was
good at, and pay me for it.
The robbery reduction job grew into
leading on violence as a whole, and I
picked up other projects linked to
strategy writing from NACRO, the
charity to whom I was attached.
The future looked bright, but the
funding ran out, and so did I. I got a
call from an agent who had been told
by a colleague that I could do projects.
He got me a stream of work for
several years, in and around
companies keen to work in the Blue
Light sector.
However when the depression of 2010
hit, it hit me, as consultancy work is
always the first to go.
I swiftly plummeted from doing fine
thank you to being broke. I saw an
advert for assistant directors in
Immigration Enforcement, applied for
it, got it and went back to work for the
next 5 years. It wasn’t good.
The work was difficult, and sensitive,
perhaps because people have, by and
large, more sympathy for
immigrants than for robbers.
I launched a very successful scheme
for catching illegal immigrants
travelling on cheap long distance
busses, sadly my bosses decided that
this involved nine or so examples of
P15

NY’S
PET
matter of death...
Written By
Ian MacDonald
Directed by
Scott Murphy
gross misconduct, and managed to
get four or five of them upheld.
It was like being nibbled by dead
sheep.
After a couple of years my convictions
were overturned, by which time I had
come to realise that my somewhat
direct manner was not what they were
looking for. I took voluntary severance
a few months ago and now spend my
time refereeing local football (I know
all the fouls) speaking on cruise
ships and writing articles and most
recently, a play about some of my
experiences in the service.
So, what have I learned about leaving
the job? Well, it is best to use what
you already know and to go to whom
you already know.
All my work has been related to what I
learned on the job, I didn’t know how
much it had taught me, you may not
know how much it has taught you.
Get yourself an agent, if you can. You
won’t negotiate for yourself
successfully, as nobody wants to pay
you for what you know.
Keep the conversations and the
assessments short, until you are
getting paid, then make them long.
I recently did some work for a 20% cut
of the resultant sales. There weren’t
any, so I got nothing. I should have
held out for 30%...
Try and understand and adjust to
the culture into which you are thrust.
I have failed miserably at this,
wherever I have gone, from school,
through the police, the local authority
and on into the Home Office.
It doesn’t mean that you have to.
I have been most successful at
advising people and organisations,
they don’t have to take advice so it
isn’t too threatening. Landing out of
the blue and changing things is
dangerous for them, very dangerous
for you. It is interesting, but so is
being hung. Finally, enjoy it. If you
don’t then move on.
Miserable rich is better than
miserable poor, happy rich is better
than both.
Ian MacDonald
March 2016
Ian’s grandson
watching him on BBC2
in 'Scousers Telling Jokes'

Businesses
should use 4G
rather than Wi-Fi
in Public Places
P19
It has been
demonstrated
by technology
experts how
easily data can
be extracted
through Wi-Fi,
even if it has
been secured
with a
password.
The hacking can be performed from a short
distance away, meaning that there is no
requirement for the hacker to even enter the
building. A common method used by hackers
is deceptive hotspots, concealed as genuine
networks with names like “Free Public Wi-FI.”
Once connected, the hackers have access to
browsing data and files saved on devices.
People should also be careful as viruses and
malware are rife on Wi-Fi networks.
It is suggested to minimise the risks of exposure
to hackers and malicious code, employers may
wish to supply 4G capable technologies to their
staff.
4G ensures that all data is encrypted –or scrambled
and will send data at a much quicker speed
and can be used on smartphones, tablets
and laptops.
Businesses should use 4G rather than Wi-Fi in
Public Places Many people may work outside of
an office or workplace and choose to do so in
public places such as, coffee shops or airports.

Privacy is always at risk when sending large and
often sensitive files across a WiFi network and in
the past, often mobile internet could not provide
the necessary speed to do so.
According to the EU law enforcement
agency, people are advised to,
“avoid sending or receiving
sensitive data over public Wi-Fi
because it is at risk of being
intercepted by hackers”
Recent advancements and the appearance of
4G, means that speeds are almost double that of
Wi-Fi networks -particularly when there are many
users connected at the same time.
4G also offers considerably more protection for
business and client data. However, an additional
security layer such as the EE security solution
should also be used with it.
According to the EU law enforcement agency,
people are advised to, “avoid sending or receiving
sensitive data over public Wi-Fi because it is
at risk of being intercepted by hackers” The
Cybercrime Unit have also pointed out the
availability and ease of access provided to
cybercriminals who can take advantage of
numerous high street coffee shop networks.
Hacking by this method may have increased for
a number of reasons.
A recent survey has shown that, last year there
were 1.3 million Wi-Fi hotspots globally and this
is less than a quarter of the number of hotspots
projected to be publically accessible in 2015.
More employers are expecting their staff to be
able to travel whilst working.
Additionally, it has been demonstrated by technology
experts how easily data can be extracted
through Wi-Fi, even if it has been secured with a
password.
P20

CAN ANYONE HELP
SHED LIGHT ON
PC MOSES BARBER
– DIED 1853 ?
Chief Constable Dave Thompson
has laid flowers to mark the anniversary
of a police officer who died over 150 years
ago aged 40.
It is believed that Moses Barber was the first
Birmingham city officer to die whilst in service in 1853.
His name also features during local ghost walks as it is
thought that he haunts a building near St Paul’s Square
which he used to call home.
Officers recently discovered the headstone which
is in St Paul’s Square and were intrigued to try
and find out more.
Research suggests that Moses died of consumption,
caused by tuberculosis.
We are searching our archives to see if we can find
out more about Pc Barber’s police career and would
love anyone with any information about him to get
in touch.
To remember the anniversary of his death, officers
from the Cannabis Disposal Team have cleared and
tidied the foliage around the headstone and flowers
were laid by the Chief Constable and Cannabis Disposal
Team as a mark of respect.
P21
Chief Constable Dave Thompson
and officers from the Cannabis Disposal Team

P22

NEW CHAPTER
IN POLICE
NOTEBOOK
HISTORY
– PLD Investigates
The tradition of jotting everything
down in a well-thumbed pocket
notebook is set to become a thing
of the past for Bedfordshire
Police officers.
After decades of use it is to be replaced
by an electronic version that forms part
of an application called tuServ.
It will be downloaded on to Police
laptops now and smartphones later.
The electronic notebook will allow
officers to capture everything from
text and signatures to images, video
and audio. It will also allow real-time
sharing of captured information
across the force, saving time
and money.
‘tuServ’ will be deployed to all officers
and staff who need it and further
functionality is expected to be rolled
out in the future.
P23

One feature, called ‘Around Me’, means
that officers can see at a glance incidents
that are going on around them within a
chosen radius of one to 30 miles, including
those in neighbouring forces
(Cambs and Herts).
“
It can help officers plan their day around
appointments, update them as they go
along, see police information attached to
locations and access virtually all the
information on the force Command and
Control system.
tuServ means
officers will spend
more time where the
public want
them most
”
The application also helps assist quick
decision making – such as whether a
supervisor should attend a scene – and
means many jobs can be done in the field
rather than returning to station.
The application is the latest step in the
force’s mission to embrace technology
and become more efficient in the face
of reduced budgets.
The force, assisted by Home Office
Innovation Funding,
has already rolled out smartphones,
body worn video and mobile technology.
Police and Crime Commissioner, Olly Martins,
said: “I have been keen for Bedfordshire Police
to embrace new technology because as force
budgets shrink we need to explore every avenue
to become more efficient.
tuServ means officers will spend more time
where the public want them most – in the
community protecting people and fighting crime.”
Project lead, Supt Mark Upex, added:
“tuServ has already been rolled out in
Cambridgeshire and is due to come on
stream in Hertfordshire. This means the
Tri-Force Alliance will be even better aligned.”
SEE TUSERV IN ACTION
IN THESE 2 DEMO VIDEOS
http://www.tuserv.com/case-studies-and-media/
cambridgeshire-constabulary-on-the-tuserv-notebook/
http://www.tuserv.com/case-studies-and-media/
cambridgeshire-constabulary-and-tuserv/
P24

NEW THINK! CAMPAIGN TO
IMPROVE CYCLISTS’ SAFETY
Cyclists urged to hang back from lorries to cut the number
of crashes and improve cycling safety.
Cyclists in London and Manchester
are being encouraged to ‘hang back’
from lorries in a safety campaign
launched today (26 September 2016)
by Road Safety Minister Andrew Jones
to reduce the number of deaths.
Riding a bike is very safe, and is
greener, healthier and more sustainable
than other forms of transport but cutting
the number of accidents is our
top priority.
This campaign will raise awareness
amongst urban cyclists and help make
our roads safer for those on 2 wheels.
The THINK! campaign has been
developed after statistics showed last
year a fifth of crashes where cyclists
were killed involved HGVs.
A large proportion of deaths happen
when a cyclist is at the front left of the
truck, and almost a third of all crashes
between cyclists and HGVs happen
when the lorry is turning left.
Transport Minister Andrew Jones said:
We are investing £300 million over the
next 4 years to help make Britain a
cycling nation.
Reducing the number of cyclists killed on
our roads is a key priority.
Since 2010 the number has decreased
to its lowest level.
This campaign will raise awareness
amongst urban cyclists and help make
our roads safer for those on 2 wheels.
The campaign film entitled “Things you
shouldn’t get caught between’, as well as
posters, carry the message: ‘Don’t get
caught between a lorry and a left turn.
Hang back’.
The campaign will also target HGV
drivers through partnership activity
with the Freight Transport Association
(FTA) and will be supported by tips
for car drivers in general to raise
awareness of cycle safety on
the roads.
Christopher Snelling, Freight Transport
Association Head of National and
Regional Policy, said:
We need to make our busy urban roads
as safe as possible for all users and it’s
important that both HGV drivers and
cyclists understand the risks created by
sharing the limited road space and
know what steps they can take to
minimise them.
his Department for Transport (DfT)
campaign highlights one of the key
danger zones – the blind spot at the front
left of a HGV. New design innovations
such as transparent cab doors all have a
part to play in improving safety in the long
term but increased awareness can have
immediate impact.
FTA encourages all HGV drivers and
cyclists to visit the campaign website
to find out more about this important
message.
On top of the THINK! campaign, the
government is investing £40 million into
Bikeability training over the next 4 years,
which will provide more than 1 million
children the key skills to keep them safe
on the road.
For more information visit
www.think.direct.gov.uk
P25

Act
The
is here:
Shut up shop
and get out of town!
In August 2015, I came across an
advertisement that both surprised
and intrigued me.
A large graphic promoting
“The Culture Counter”-
a Hydroponics and Headshop in
Scarborough - was innocently
placed amongst adverts for a
roofer, a haberdashery, and a music
shop. The last few years has seen
the steady rise of these type of
premises, more commonly known
as “Headshops”.
ACPO define a head shop as: “any shop, market
stall or internet trader selling paraphernalia and
equipment for using drugs” Obviously, it seems
strange that a law enforcement magazine should
include a promotion for a business selling
products of this nature. This was drawn to the
attention of the Editor who also was astounded at
how this had slipped through the net; the
explanation given was the sales and graphics
department in their naivety believed the advert
was for the growth of tomatoes or indoor crops,
an explanation often used by suspects being
interviewed for Cannabis production and
cultivation.
These Headshops do sell paraphernalia and
equipment for using drugs, in particular,
Cannabis and Cocaine. Almost all traders will sell
items assisting in drug distribution, such as
digital scales and grip seal bags -all associated
with drugs supply- in addition to Bongs, grinders
and snorting devices.
These premises have for many years sold New
Psychoactive Substances (NPS), or “Legal
Highs” as is often used. A term which quite
wrongly defines chemicals often containing
illegal substances., these are commonly labelled
“Research Chemicals”, however these psychoactive
substances mimic the effects of controlled
drugs such as Cocaine, Ecstasy, Amphetamine
or Cannabis. These substances can be called
“Legal Highs” due to their chemical structure
being altered in such a way that they can avoid
official classification as “illegal” under the Misuse
of Drugs Act 1971, but not after Thursday 26th
May 2016.
So what does the
future hold for Legal Highs?
There have been attempts to control NPS but
available existing law has been less than ideal.
The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 cannot keep up
with the changes in the market, even though
hundreds of NPS have been controlled.
In December 2013, The Home Office appointed
an Expert Panel to look at whether, and if so,
how, the legal framework for responding to NPS
could be enhanced beyond the current
approach under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
This Expert Panel, consisting of advisors from
across the UK, also looked at how the health and
education response needed to be developed,
making recommendations to create a
blanket-ban on all new psychoactive substances,
thus protecting young people from exposure to
NPS.
The PSA 2016 doesn’t replace the Misuse of
Drugs Act (1971) it compliments it, so laws
around existing illegal (controlled) drugs will
remain the
same however The Intoxicating Substances
Supply Act (1985) will be repealed The result is
The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.
This new legislation has been through the
Parliamentary process, achieved Royal Assent
and due for implementation as Law 00.01hrs
Thursday 26th May 2016.
P27

The Act aims to end the open sale of NPS from
high-street retailers and UK based websites by
prohibiting: Production, Supply, Possession with
intent to supply, Offer to supply, and Import or
Export. Legislation also defines a “psychoactive
substance” as:
“a substance capable of producing a
psychoactive effect in a person who consumes it”
It adds that a substance produces a psychoactive
effect in a person:
“if, by stimulating or depressing the person’s
central nervous system, it affects the person’s
mental functioning or emotional state”
The Act does have exemptions for some substances:
Nicotine and tobacco products, medicinal
products, alcohol, caffeine, and food (including
drink). This protects the
legitimate usage of psychoactive substances in
healthcare, research and industry.
The Act aims to end the open sale of NPS
from high-street retailers and UK based
websites by prohibiting: Production,
Supply, Possession with intent to supply
NPS supply and use has become a real problem
within Prisons due to their legality, demand is high
and the supply can readily meet it.
With drug addiction seen as the root cause of
many crimes, prisoners can continue their habit
when they are in jail.
Although there is no offence under the PSA 2016
for personal possession, offences have been
created for Possession of a psychoactive
substance in a custodial institution, (this includes,
prison, young offender centre, removal centre etc.
but does not include Mental Health secure units).
Therefore an attempt to bring a psychoactive
substance into a prison, for example by a visitor or
a member of staff, could lead to a charge for
supply, offering to supply or possession with intent
to supply.
Not only have certain NPS caused harm to
individuals, including young people, but their open
sale has, at some locations, been the cause of
anti-social behaviour and had a detrimental impact
on community confidence.
We should begin to see an end of these dangerous
products that are readily available to the
general public through a variety of outlets, and the
end of unnecessary casualties associated with
their use. On the other hand, the death of the
Head Shop may also mean the end of indoor
crops and tomatoes!
P28

BUT I WOULD WALK 500 MILES...
Peter Garrett was retired from the
police force due to ill health. He decided
to re-visit his Scottish roots by moving
there to live. Here he discusses some
of the differences he’s experienced.
It's roughly 330 miles from Ardrishaig in Argyll to
Liverpool, but it may as well be a million! Life,
culture, attitude and yes, even the weather are
so unequivocally different between the two
places. So, what's the connection?
Well, for the purposes of this contribution to
PLDUK, it happens to be me! I lived and worked
as a bobby in South Liverpool for the best part
of twenty five years and now, following a series
of events that literally changed my world, for the
past eleven years I have lived and worked (no
longer in “the Polis” as affectionately known
locally though) on the idyllic west coast of
Scotland.
I'm often asked how it came about that Ishould
settle in Ardrishaig, but it's not my intention to
bore the life out of everybody by going into
minute detail of the why’s and wherefore’s but
suffice to say that there is a blood link between
me and the highlands. The family story, and I
can't in all honesty vouch for the absolute
voracity of the tale, is that my great, great
gran’pappy, one certain Hector MacCulloch,
was victim of the infamous Highland Clearances
during the mid-19th Century when crofting and
simple agriculture were replaced by the more
profit based usage of the land in large scale
sheep farming and gentrified hunting, shooting
and fishing estates. His wee patch of rented
ground in Lochaber, just further north from my
current locale, was forcibly taken from him and
his family by his Victorian landlord. As probably
the only option open to him, Hector headed
south to seek passage to a New World and a
new life, the choice being either America or New
Zealand. Fortunately for me I suppose, I am
neither descended from a Yank nor a Kiwi as
Hector got stuck in a pub (on Scotland Road,
Liverpool) and missed the boat! Hence my
immediate forebears for three generations were
Liverpudlian.
My erstwhile joy in climbing and walking in the
highlands, when I was younger and fitter of
course, was obviously ingrained in my heritage
though and the desire to return to my family
roots was always quite strong. When the
opportunity arose in circumstances that I could
never have imagined previously, I grasped it.
And here I am!
My retirement from Merseyside Police came
relatively quickly and unexpectedly. I was
inveigled into seeing a welfare nurse for an over
40’s “Well Man Clinic” to prevent her from thumb
twiddling in the parade room at Belle Vale police
station and it soon became clear that certain
aspects of my physical health were ripe for
further scrutiny. Once my arthritic knees and
dodgy eyesight were confirmed by Dr Ahmed,
the Force Doctor, the writing was very much on
the wall. The decision to say “cheerio” to me was
confirmed when the orthopaedic surgeon in
Rodney Street decided that I was not fit for
operational duties and “driving a desk” at HQ
was actually doing more harm than good to my
knees which needed regular gentle movement.
Sitting down all day was a no-no. So, less than
eighteen months after that initial diagnosis at
BV, I was handing in my uniform and warrant
card.
Anyway, enough of all that. What are the major
differences and what similarities are there
between my past and present existences?
P29

Canal basin taken
from my lounge window
Looking out of my lounge window as I am
doing now, the main trunk road to Campbeltown,
the A83, is only a hundred yards or so
away across the other side of the Crinan
canal basin. At just after ten in the evening, I
can count the number of vehicles passing
back and forth on the fingers of one hand …….
per hour!!!
The pure peace and quiet of village life in
rural Scotland is a on another planet
compared with the hustle and bustle of the
city. And it takes a bit of getting used to, like
the fresh air!
What also takes a bit of getting used to, is
the different set up and different priorities
of the local bobbies. Scotland now has a
single policing service, Police Scotland, which
has combined all the previous smaller forces.
Argyll used to be under the watchful eye of
Strathclyde police. In local terms, not a lot
has changed other than the wording on
vehicles, badges and uniforms. All the old
divisions and police offices (rather than
stations) have been retained – for the time
being at least – and the local personnel are
pretty much the same.
The real changes have come in the top
strata where now there is only one single
Chief Constable for the entire country. So,
fewer chiefs but a similar amount of Indians.
This, hopefully, when the incumbents of
many higher ranks retire and are not
replaced, will eventually keep some policing
costs under control and reduce (I'll add
perhaps somewhat cynically) the need to
raise revenues by persecuting the motorist
especially out in the sticks! Radar speed
checks are far more commonplace here, and
not particularly at notorious accident
blackspots either, than anywhere else I know.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that any
blatant disregard for legitimate speed limits
shouldn't be tackled, of course it should, but
there is a feeling amongst many locals that I
concur with in that some favourite haunts for
the “cash collectors” are not those that
should be logically targeted in preference to
many more dangerous, potentially lethal
even, stretches of the road network.
Anyone who knows the roads around
Mid-Argyll will know exactly the places I am
referring to, and those who don't will have to
take on trust that what I am saying is a
genuinely held opinion and not an unjustified
rant.
The perceived over concentration on errant
motorists is possibly, or probably, down to
the fact that crime of any consequence
literally doesn't exist here! The weekly police
report in the local newspaper, the Argyllshire
Advertiser, better known as ‘The Squeak’, is
never more than half a dozen stories of
minor misdemeanours usually ranging from
a drunken breach of the peace to, horror of
horrors, the discovery of a small amount of
cannabis for personal use in the pocket of a
teenager. Even the thought of a burglary or
a car theft doesn't enter the psychology of
the west coast.
Such occurrences are virtually unheard of,
and I kid you not there hasn't been a
domestic break-in in Ardrishaig that I know of
in the eleven years I have lived here! The last
known cases of burglary recorded are
almost folklore now. Three offences were
reported over a period of three weeks, all at
roughly the same hour of the same day each
week. One enterprising cop noticed that the
times coincided with the 926 West Coast
Motors bus from Glasgow to Campbeltown
passing through the village and sure enough,
a villain known to Glasgow’s finest was taking
a short stopover on his weekly visit to a lady
friend.
He was apprehended attempting another
break-in in week four!
A recent change in the law in Scotland has
had a remarkable affect in more ways than
one… the prescribed drink driving limit was
reduced just before last Christmas from 80
milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of
blood to just 50. This equates to less than a
pint of beer at 5% abv or only a small glass
of wine. The realistic interpretation of this is
that now, there is virtually a zero limit and
incredibly, or maybe not, drink driving
offences have plummeted.
The social and financial consequences for
many rural hostelries and hotels are not yet
measurable because it's too soon to judge,
but in terms of potential damage, death and
destruction on Scottish roads, the measure
seems to be having the desired affect
already.
There are many aspects of life in this part of
the world I could relate, in terms of the
lifestyle and my perspectives on the policing
differences that exist between Scotland and
my personal experiences within Merseyside
Police. Perhaps I might be invited to expand
upon these in future articles – you never
know
Editor’s note – yes please – get writing.
...AND I WOULD WALK 500 MORE

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The Police Treatment Centres – a force for
promoting health and wellbeing
The Police Treatment Centres aims to be a Centre of Excellence in the care and treatment of
both serving and retired police officer patients suffering from injury or illness. Through our work
we support and encourage your return to better health as swiftly as possible. Around 4,000
serving and retired police officers attend one of the two Centres each year, at either St Andrews
in Harrogate or Castlebrae near Perth.
Treatment is free to all donating officers. Serving officers are asked to make regular payroll giving donations of just
£1.80 per week. Access to treatment is currently available to police
officers who hold or have held the office of Constable and has for 2016
been extended to cover PSCO’s, Specials and Custody & Detention
Officers. Retired officers pay a reduced donation rate – currently 65p per
week to be eligible for treatment.
Most officers attend to receive intensive physiotherapy treatment.
Following a thorough assessment a tailored programme is developed
including a combination of exercise, hands on therapy and
complementary therapies. Serving officers usually have a two week stay
and Retired Officers one week.
The treatment from my physio has brought my recovery on in leaps and bounds.
“This should not be one of the force’s best kept secrets - we must spread the word.
”
Although the majority of our patients attend for physiotherapy an
increasing number of patients attend for support with stress, anxiety
and other such conditions. In 2016 we have introduced our new two
week structured Psychological Wellbeing Programme designed
specifically for Serving Officers,
which offers group sessions in
stress management,
workshops focusing on
relaxation, sleep, mindfulness,
group exercise sessions and
also individual counselling and
complementary therapy sessions. Our Patient Advisors provide a listening
ear; help to identify and clarify underlying issues; signpost support which is
available both externally and within their Force; provide reassurance and
appropriate advice; provide time to talk and look at problems in a different way; help provide a clear plan of a way
forward which helps to resolve a patients’ issues and help patients to find answers. Two weeks at the Police
Treatment Centres also allows officers to share problems and gain support from fellow officers away from pressures of
working life.
“
I came to the Centre on the stress package. I have felt very supported.
The complimentary therapies offered are superb and have allowed me to totally relax and switch off.
I feel better placed and able to face the future with a much brighter and relaxed outlook.
”
P33
Not sure if you are eligible for free treatment?
Serving Officers – contact your Federation Rep or Payroll department or visit
www.thepolicetreatmentcentres.org and go to “SIGN UP”.
Retired Officers – you need to complete a direct debit mandate which can also
be found on our website. Go to Sign Up and “Retired Officers”.
Any questions – see FAQ also on our website or contact us on 01423 504448
(St Andrews, Harrogate) or 01764 664369
(Castlebrae, Perthshire, Scotland)
“
I recommend anyone to take advantage . of the PTC and what it has to offer.
It is worth twice the cost. The staff are expert in everything they offer.
”

P26

EVER THOUGHT
ABOUT INVESTING
IN PROPERTY
Robert Johnson: Wondering what to
spend your lump sum on? Thought about
investing in property: Why I’m a member
of the National Landlords Association
When I retired after thirty years in the
police I decided to invest some of my
lump sum into property.
I had absolutely no idea where to start!
I looked in the local newspaper and
noticed some new apartments being
built in Altrincham, Cheshire.
Like them I thought, I could live there
myself. So off I went put my deposit
down and my wife chose all the
fittings, ten years later it still rents well.
Would I do the same again? Yes and no.
I definitely would buy property, not sure
I would rush in like I did.
I have learnt a hell of a lot since then
which I will explain later. I must be
happy with being a landlord as
I continued to buy property to rent out.
I currently have a number of properties
which provides me with a source of
income and I am also looking
to buy a holiday let to rent out.
I have spoken to lots of police officers
(serving and retired) who have done
something similar to me or just
become a landlord by default, for
example, a property they have inherited
from a family member, or their
base in the UK.
My role as a landlord is something that I
take very seriously. It’s not easy to keep
abreast of all the requirements and
laws that affect my business and the
legislation seems to change with each
passing year.
For this reason I decided to become a
member of, and now local Northwest of
England representative for, the National
Landlords Association.
I believe that those of you who are in a
similar situation to me would benefit
from joining as well, and here’s why.
The NLA Accreditation
Scheme allows landlords to
gain a competitive edge
against local competition
The NLA supports landlords with
different portfolio sizes and varied
needs. As NLA Members, landlords
benefit from expert knowledge,
networking opportunities, a
competitive edge, support and
services.
The National Landlords Association is a
national organisation working at a local
level to serve local landlords.
The NLA hosts regular local meetings
across the UK. These meetings give
landlords the opportunity to network
with other landlords in the area, discuss
current landlord-tenant issues in the
locality, share best practice
and learn about legislative updates.
NLA Members benefit from special
discounts on our Landlord Development
Programmes designed to help both
new and experienced landlords in
developing their professional skills.
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Members also have access to the NLA
helpline which is open daily. This is a
free service to members providing
excellent legal advice. I have used it
myself on a number of occasions, often
just to get re-assurance for my
proposed actions.
The NLA Accreditation Scheme allows
landlords to gain a competitive edge
against local competition.
It is based purely on landlord develop
ment and good management practice.
This is an effective means for landlords -
to develop their professional capabili
ties and offers a mark of quality which
is recognised across England and
Wales.
Additional benefits of being
an NLA Member
NLA Members receive substantial -
discounts on services such as
mortgages, property insurance, tenant
checks, deposit protection fees and
NLA Landlord Development
Programmes.
There is also an online library providing
you with all the current forms that you
require as a landlord, which are simple
to download.
Get in touch
Feel free to give me a call
or email me if you would prefer to speak
about my experiences and why I value
my membership so much.
Robert.johnson@landlords.org.uk
Mobile 07879815148
To find out how we support landlords
make a success of their lettings visit:
www.landlords.org.uk
If you are interested in joining then I am
able to get you some discount if you
drop me a line I will let you know the
details. I can provide the discount
nationally not just in the Northwest.
Good luck!
Thanks for reading
Rob
For more information, visit
www.landlords.org.uk/member-savings
to see how much you could save.
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Ever thought
about fostering?
Here is a pub
quiz question for you;
What do the following have in common:-
Harry Potter, Tarzan, Luke Skywalker,
James Bond, Paddington Bear, Bambi, John
Lennon, Moses and pretty much any princess in
any fairy tale?
none of them were raised by their birth mother.
What is about the ‘motherless child’ that we find
them so often in our most popular stories films,
and popular culture?
Both the Bible and the Quran encourage
believers to take care of the ‘fatherless and the
motherless’. In the UK there are just under
70,000 children in our care system.
Like all the best ideas, it was my wife who
suggested we should explore becoming
foster carers. I was just turning 40.
Some people have a mid life crisis at this age.
They buy a motorbike, get a tattoo and start
wearing age inappropriate clothing. We decided
to look after children who aren’t ours.
Our birth children were 6 and 8, and although
we had busy lives
(I am a teacher and my wife is a solicitor),
we all agreed to investigate further.
After a bit of googling we found out about an
“information meeting” run by our local council.
At the meeting, we met a social worker, a foster
carer and a young adult, who had grown up in
foster homes.
The stories made me both laugh and cry.
As I have subsequently learnt, fostering is a very
emotional business.
Fundamentally, I thought the job of a foster
carer was to keep a child safe, and I was pretty
sure we could do that. There was no sudden
moment when the light bulb went on,
no story that melted my heart, but I just thought
‘why not?’ .
We went on three training days where
we learnt about the role of a foster carer, and
were regularly visited by a social worker who
asked us to reflect on what we could bring to
the role.
Foster carers come from all sections of society.
We can be any age as long as we are healthy.
Some of us own our homes, some of us rent.
Some of us are married with children and some
of us live alone. Some of us are gay and some of
us are straight. We can be religious or we can be
atheists. We are probably slightly more likely to
be female, but plenty of us are male.
At least one of us is a Chelsea fan.
It's our characters which set us apart.
According to research, we are more likely to
have an acute sense of justice compared to the
average member of the public. According to
statistics, the outcomes for many of the children
who grow up in the care system are pretty
horrific. Something like 40% of the prison
population have been in care and over a third of
those people sleeping rough were at one stage
fostered.
People who have been in care are more likely to
struggle with mental health issues, addiction
issues and relationship issues.
Foster carers try and change these statistics one
child at a time. Research also suggests that
foster carers are relational, and real ‘people
people’. We like being with kids, and we are
happy to work with social workers, healthcare
professionals, teachers and sometimes the
police.
We also tend to be very flexible,
because you are never quite sure what is going
to happen next.
There are many reasons why a child may not
be able to live wth their family.
Their parent or parents may be ill or could have
died, and no family can be found to look after
them.
More likely, social services and the legal system
will have decided that a child needs to be
removed from their family circumstance.
There may well be alcohol and drug abuse
making the parents unable to care for their
child, or be simply indifferent to their care
leading to neglect. In the worst circumstances
the parent or parents may actually be a threat to
the child and may have actively physically or
sexually abused them. As a foster carer, I try not
to judge the families of the children we care for.
Whatever the circumstances, you are generally
dealing with some of the most chaotic members
of society and you cannot anticipate that they
will make sensible decisions.
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I think this is why police officers make such
good foster carers. They join the force to make a
difference, and certainly know a lot about
dealing with people. They are generally resilient
and resourceful. All character traits that you
need to foster. I expect many police officers
have had some contact with kids in care or social
workers. This experience is invaluable.
A year after the ‘information meeting’, we were
approved by our local council to look after
children between the ages of 4 and 6 on a short
term basis. 6 years later, we have fostered 5
separate children.
We had one little lad for 4 hours, and one for
over two years, and quite a few in between.
Each of those children has their own story which
will bring a tear to eleven the most cynical
person’s eyes.
If you have children, you may know what it's like
when they go on their first sleepover.
Even though they are going to a familiar place
with familiar people, safe in the knowledge that
they will see you again, there may be some
nervousness and even fear.
For a child going into care, it can be like a
sleepover with complete strangers and with no
end in sight.
The little lad
was desperate
to have what
most of us take
for granted.
He wanted a
family and a
home for good.
We found out he was a Liverpool fan, and
bought him new clothing and bedding covered
in the LFC logo.
We learnt that he liked Horrible Histories, we
took him swimming and went on family trips to
the circus, the zoo and all the other normal stuff
that families do.
I found this little boy in our lounge, armed with
a permanent marker pen. He had taken a family
photo off our mantlepiece, broken the glass and
drawn on the picture. He had very clearly addeda
picture of himself and tried to write his name.
I'm no psychologist, but it was clear the little lad
was desperate to have what most of us take for
granted. He wanted a family and a home for
good.
I remember the story of one child we looked
after. He went to school in the morning, just as
normal. At the end of the day, he was called to
the headteacher’s office.
Already nervous, he was introduced
to a lady in a coat with an I.D. Badge.
She told him, his Mum had been taken ill, and
she was taking him to live with ‘some nice
people’.
Thirty minutes later, he arrived at our house in
his school uniform and with his school bag.
In the bag was a pair of swimming trunks.
He had nothing else with him.
“I thought I was being kidnapped” is how he
described his feelings to me some months later.
We couldn't replace his mum but we could keep
him safe. We found what he liked eating and
fed him.
With our social worker we arranged for the lad
to visit his Mum in hospital and were able to
visit the family home and pick up some of his
belongings. We helped him with his homework
and I even went to a Parent’s Evening with him.
His was a happy ending. His Mum got better and
he was able to return to her.
Saying goodbye was sad, but we knew we had
done a good job and helped him through a
horrendous time in his life.
In the world of fostering keeping a child long
term is called ‘permanence’ and it is certainly
not something I had considered when we began
our fostering adventure.
One day our house was ominously quiet. This
was particularly worrying as the seven year old
we were looking after was normally very noisy.
Any parent knows that silence is not always a
good sign.
.Phil Watson fosters for Liverpool City Council.
Unlike many private fostering agencies,
Local Councils are non-profit making.
If you would like to find out more about fostering,
contact your Local Authority.

A shift in the
right direction
PERSONAL TRAINER, PAUL HERBERT,
GIVES US HIS EXPERT GUIDE ON HOW
TO DEAL WITH EXERCISE AND NUTRITION
WHILST DOING SHIFT WORK.
We all know being a police officer can be a demanding
(albeit rewarding) role, but add shift work into the
mix and you’ll have all sorts of extra pressures.
There’s the obvious sleep pattern disruption,
but what about diet and fitness?
Sometimes coping with actual shift hours
can be as difficult, if not more so, than
the job at hand. Health and fitness
expert Paul Herbert met with PLDUK
and shared some advice on diet and
fitness and how it can help
with the demands of shift work.
PAUL HERBERT
Paul Herbert is a former GB athlete
who competed at 800m against
the likes of Sebastian Coe,
Steve Cram, Steve Ovett and
Peter Elliot. At 21 years old, he was
UK champion and 25th fastest in
the world with a time of 1:45.
After a successful athletics career,
Paul decided health and fitness
was the way to go and he
created Body Transformations.
His company in Abbots Langley,
Hertfordshire works with people
from various backgrounds from
sedentary to athlete. Some of his
high profile clients have included
Kym Marsh (Coronation Street),
Penny Malory (TV presenter)
and Martin Kove (Karate Kid).
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Only have a few
minutes to spare?
If you’re looking for a quick workout,
old school bodyweight exercises like
press-ups and wall-sits are always good.
You can challenge yourself by recording your
results and aim to beat the same figure
throughout the week, which in itself
can become a routine.
It’s all about assessing the time you
have - if you can only spare 10 minutes
you can still get a real quality workout and
it can be done on a daily basis.
Even if you can only grab a spare
5 minutes, at least you’re
doing something.
Quick tips
for the gym
1
Always warm up/stretch
2
Focus on your breathing
3
Be mentally involved
in the exercise
Q&A
Q:How important is nutrition
in day-to-day life?
A:It’s so important because if you’re
moving around all day you need to
supplement those spent calories by
putting the right calories back in. Having
good balanced nutrition is vital but a lot
of people focus on not having too many
carbohydrates. If you’re active, the
most important thing is to have those
carbohydrates. I always advise my clients
to replace the calories they burn otherwise
your body will go into something called
ketosis, which creates a sudden drop of
energy levels. Making sure nutrition is on
point is always the most important thing.
Q:When is the best time to exercise?
A:My clients ask me this question a
lot and I always recommended that they
should exercise at the best time for them.
There’s no optimum time to exercise -
some people prefer to train in the morning,
and some people prefer to train in the
evening. You have to know what suits YOU
best. If you’ve just done a long shift, do a
15-minute blast session depending on the
type of exercise you prefer. For example, if
you prefer running, start with a walk and
gradually build into a run and, if you want to,
do some light stretches in the middle. If you
prefer bodyweight exercises again start
slowly and build the intensity gradually.
Q:What are some common mistakes
that can hinder your exercise?
A:Not having the correct breathing
technique. In order for the blood to go
round your system once, it takes roughly
23 seconds and if your breathing goes out
of sync this process takes longer. If this
occurs then you go into oxygen debt,
which causes you to get dizzy, as the blood
takes longer to get back to your brain.
Keeping the process in sync through a
correct breathing technique is very
important. Also, it’s important when you’re
exercising to ‘be in the moment.’ If you’re
about to perform a squat for example, you
should be working on your core muscles
that support the movement and you must
be 100% focused on making your upper
and lower body work together. It’s amazing
when you walk into a gym and you see
people who are not focused on what they
are doing. You can tell they’re thinking
about what’s going to be on TV later rather
than thinking about the exercise they’re
doing. I always tell my clients that if they
get mentally involved in the exercise, their
body shape will change more quickly.
Q:What type of problems does
shift work produce?
A:Shift work affects your appetite and
when it comes to exercise, this can mean
energy levels fluctuate. Often this is based
on diet as many people eat the wrong foods
on shift work and this has a direct effect on
their energy levels. Generally, food grabbed
‘on the go’ is loaded with carbohydrates
and when you eat these foods you become
full quickly, but you also become empty
really quickly as well. I often encourage
people who are on shift work to plan ahead.
Preparing nutritious food to take to work
means you know what you’re going to eat
and there’s less chance you’ll make the
decision to eat unhealthy fast food.
With regards to exercise, you need to work
out how many times a week you are able
to train, what you are going to do in your
workout and how much time you have.
Remember to factor in cool down time and
a shower etc. Be realistic and bear in mind,
something is better than nothing!
Q:Which foods should
shift workers avoid?
A:We all know the foods we should be
avoiding… high fat takeaways, and foods
loaded with sugar. I also advise to keep
clear of any food high in carbohydrates,
and definitely processed foods. Avoid
overloading on bread and chips, anything
like that will work against you and deplete
energy levels rather than lift them. Meal
replacement can work, for example: if you
like burgers, instead of having a takeaway,
plan your meal beforehand and have a
Quorn burger with salad on a granary bagel
or small wholemeal roll. This way, it’s like
having a takeaway burger but you’re eating
a healthier version. Sweet potatoes have
a low GI (Glycemic Index) and you can use
that to make baked fries which you can
reheat at work.
Q:‘Grazing’ is a term often heard
in health and fitness circles. What are
the benefits of this technique and
can it be applied to shift work?
A:Grazing is when you don’t have your
main meal but have smaller meals instead
as a snack. This method of eating is based
around the core meals of breakfast, lunch
and dinner and occurs either side of your
lunch. For someone who does shift work,
grazing is perfect. If you’re on a shift
pattern that misses breakfast or (other)
another key meal, you can graze on fruit,
nuts or seeds, which will sustain your
energy levels. I encourage people to graze
because it allows you to keep energy levels
up and stops you from losing the calories
you need to sustain a full shift of work.
However, avoid grazing on sweets because
these will take your sugar level up and
reduce your energy level.

Key nutrition
1
Healthy carbohydrates: rice,
sweet potato, quinoa etc.
2
Quality protein: lean chicken, turkey
and occasionally red meat
3
Fats: nuts such as almonds
and Brazil nuts
4
Oily fish: salmon, mackerel,
herring etc.
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Q:Energy drinks are often used to help
people stay alert, particularly on shift
work. Are there any natural alternatives
that can provide the same boost?
A:The key thing to start with is water -
being hydrated helps keep your energy levels
up. There is a misconception about water as
you will often hear people say that you should
drink 2 litres per day, but this isn’t necessarily
the case. Recent studies show there are other
things you drink throughout the day such as
tea and coffee, which also go towards your
water intake. Food also contains water which
will form part of your intake and fruit provides
a really good boost to your energy levels.
Also, the great thing about fruit is that you’ll
use it as part of energy but it won’t take your
sugar level up too quickly. The kind of things
that hinder people’s performances the most
are the sugary fizzy drinks and even the
energy ones marketed as being ‘healthy.
One of the most popular ‘energy’ drinks
has18 teaspoons of sugar in one bottle
– it’s obviously not going to do you much
good. Your intake also has to be relative to
what type of sport or activity you are doing.
If someone’s running a marathon I would
recommend an energy drink, however,
for someone who works out in the gym
and is burning fewer calories, I would
recommend water. Or if they need an
energy boost I would suggest a 50/50
mix of pure orange juice and water.
Q:Protein shakes are very popular
nowadays. Would you recommend them?
And if so, what do you take and when?
A:I do promote the use of protein shakes
but it’s important not to over do them as
it can mess with your digestive system.
I wouldn’t suggest relying on these shakes,
as it is best to vary your food. On a shortterm
basis however they can be used as a
meal replacement but if you decide to take
it every morning for example, add oats and
nuts so it becomes a better breakfast and a
more complete meal. Ideally, take no more
than two shakes maximum per day but again
that depends on how many calories you
consume in a day and your activity levels.
Q:What advice can you give to people
who are looking to lose weight through
training as well as maintain fitness?
A:Training type is key here. If someone
goes out for a run five or six times a week
without any resistance work then they will
lose muscle tissue. But if you incorporate a
resistance programme, using bodyweight
exercises at home such as press-ups and
squats or at the gym using equipment like
the shoulder press, Olympic lifts, deadlifts
etc. along with the cardiovascular exercises,
you can get the best of both worlds and
drop body fat whilst increasing muscles
tissue at the same time.
Q:Are there any health supplements
you would recommend?
A:It all depends on what you’re looking to
achieve but I do recommend taking a multi
-vitamin per day. However, if you eat a well
balanced diet you probably won’t need any
extra supplements. If you’re trying to increase
your weight or burn body-fat, Casein powder
(a milk protein) can be taken before you go to
bed. This prevents too much protein being
lost whilst sleeping as your body goes without
food for several hours. I use the Casein with
healthy peanut butter, just to add to the extra
protein. Branched chain amino acids (BCAA)
help the process of building muscles and
replace the loss of amino acids from your
system. Essential fatty acids are also important
and are something that can be taken via
supplements or obtained naturally through
eating fish. Also, at every meal you should try
and have some fat. There is a stigma towards
fat and people automatically think it’s bad but
it’s important to have healthy fats in your diet.
Q:What’s the ‘top-tip’ people should
try to remember?
A:As a personal trainer, people always tell
me what they eat but I guarantee it’s never
accurate and only half the story. My top tip
is simple. Be honest with yourself, work
hard and work safe. If you’re honest with
yourself, the results will come.
Want to know more?
Email Paul at enquiries@bodytransformations.co.uk
or visit www.bodytransformations.co.uk

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