tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371497882024-03-07T23:08:54.737+00:00Old Plod of PlymptonThe hopes, thoughts and wishes of a retired English police officer who spends far too much time in front of his computer instead of taking exercise!Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.comBlogger321125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-61294274363860646172020-07-22T12:41:00.000+01:002020-07-22T12:41:28.235+01:00Wearing of face masks in shops now mandatory <div itemprop="articleBody">
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<b>The
head of Britain's biggest police force has today said her officers will
not respond to calls about shoppers refusing to wear face coverings
unless it is a 'last resort'.</b></div>
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<b>Metropolitan Police chief Dame Cressida Dick said she hoped shoppers will instead be 'shamed' into wearing face masks in stores.</b></div>
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<b>Her
comments come as the government's new rule making the wearing of face
masks mandatory in shops comes into play on Friday 24th July,2020. The wearing of face
masks on public transport in England is already mandatory.</b></div>
</div>
<b>Speaking
to LBC today, Dame Cressida urged shoppers to take the initiative and
wear a mask, but said if shop keepers are concerned and 'have tried
everything else', her officers will try to assist.</b><br />
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<b> </b>Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-31264597897298881432019-08-23T12:14:00.005+01:002019-08-23T12:14:34.650+01:00Call the Cops TV documentary<br />
<img alt="" content="https://i2-prod.devonlive.com/incoming/article3192548.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/0_r.jpg" src="https://i2-prod.devonlive.com/incoming/article3192548.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/0_r.jpg" /><br />
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<br />
<b>A series which started earlier this week showed the reality behind the challenges officers from <a data-content-type="section" data-link-tracking="InArticle|Link" href="https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/all-about/devon">Devon</a> and <a data-content-type="section" data-link-tracking="InArticle|Link" href="https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/all-about/cornwall">Cornwall</a> experience every day.</b><br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>Channel 4’s ‘Call the Cops’ docu-series started on Monday, August 19th at 9.30pm and will consist of 6 weekly episodes.</b><br />
<br />
<b>It
is set to cover a wide-range of jobs across the force area - the
largest geographical policing area in England - such as armed robberies,
sexual assaults, missing people searches and domestic incidents.</b><br />
<b> </b><b></b><b> </b><br />
<b>It is also set to highlight the challenges <a data-content-type="section" data-link-tracking="InArticle|Link" href="https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/all-about/devon-and-cornwall-police">Devon and Cornwall Police</a>’s staff and officers have to face on a daily basis, including being on the receiving end of verbal and physical abuse.</b><br />
<b></b><br />
<b></b><br />
Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-63624932777620407632019-04-11T11:46:00.000+01:002019-04-11T12:04:55.817+01:00Police amass 10,000 officers in preparation for no-deal unrest<br />
Police chiefs have voiced fears that inflammatory rhetoric from politicians and activists could fuel <a class="u-underline" data-component="auto-linked-tag" data-link-name="auto-linked-tag" href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/eu-referendum">Brexit</a>
tensions as they revealed they have amassed their biggest ever
peacetime reserve of 10,000 officers to deal with potential unrest in
the event of no deal.<br />
The chair of the National <a class="u-underline" data-component="auto-linked-tag" data-link-name="auto-linked-tag" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk/police">Police</a>
Chiefs Council, Martin Hewitt, warned “prominent individuals” involved
in the protracted Brexit debate should avoid inciting anger given the
“febrile” and “emotive” atmosphere, amid concerns of violence and
disorder.<br />
Hewitt said: “This is highly emotive ... I think there is a
responsibility on those individuals that have a platform, and have a
voice, to communicate in a way that is temperate and is not in any way
going to inflame people’s views or cause any actions out of there.<br />
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No-deal Brexit would make Britain less safe, says police chief
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“I think we are in an incredibly febrile atmosphere. There is a lot
of angry talk that you can pick up if you look across social media.”<br />
He said it was “incumbent on anybody in a position of responsibility
and who has a voice to just think carefully about the way they express
their views” to avoid inciting unwanted behaviour.<br />
The NPCC lead for Brexit planning, chief constable Charlie Hall, said
at least 10,000 officers trained in quelling disorder were ready for
deployment across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and
trained in tactics to tackle looting in the event of shortages and
violence if tensions spill over.<br />
That was a greater contingent of officers, Hall said, than deployed to reinforce local forces during <a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in body link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/aug/08/london-riots-escalate-police-battle">the 2011 riots across England</a>, the worst since the end of the second world war.<br />
Police have refreshed tactics in case they are pitched into conflicts
between citizens triggered by Brexit, amid fears a no-deal could lead
to <a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in body link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/18/revealed-uk-patients-stockpile-drugs-in-fear-of-no-deal-brexit">shortages of medicines,</a> some food and <a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in body link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/feb/01/uk-manufacturers-stockpiling-for-no-deal-brexit-hit-record-levels">other key goods.</a><br />
Hall said reinforcements to forces of at least 10,000 could start
within an hour of a request and take eight hours to fully deliver. He
stressed police had no intelligence of disorder but he insisted, given
the uncertainty, forces had to plan for a worst-case scenario.<br />
Some in policing fear regular services would be decimated if a
national mobilisation was needed. Hall said: “We would easily run at
that pace for the first seven days.”<br />
But after that officers may have to work 12-hour shifts and
“non-core” police activity could be cut, such as training, community
work and crime prevention work.<br />
The military could be used and police and army chiefs have held talks about how they could be used if needed.<br />
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Hall said police would not guard supply chains for medicines
and food because those responsible had enough time to put plans into
place and police feared being stretched too thin. Ports would be
expected to “police” any queues themselves with uniformed police
officers on standby if crimes were committed.</div>
</aside>
Hall said: “This is where our push has been back to those sectors,
those parts of government and private sector. It’s your responsibility
to look at your individual supply chains and you should not be looking
to police to come in and supplement to keep your supply chains running.”<br />
Officers are being trained in case Northern Ireland needs
reinforcements, with up to 1,000 mainland officers being taught tactics
needed in the region.<br />
Hall said 15 out of 43 forces in England and Wales had put some
restrictions on leave, and two forces, Kent and Hampshire, had requested
mutual aid and discussions had been held with others in case they
needed it.<br />
He said there had been 37 Brexit-related crimes in the last
fortnight, half of which were malicious communication, with other
offences including verbal abuse and harassment.<br />
Commander Adrian Usher said there was a direct link between Brexit
events and increased threats received by MPs. Usher, who leads on
protection for parliamentarians in Westminster, said: “We’ve seen a
greater level of abuse reported to us. As we move towards key dates in
the Brexit calendar, we have seen spikes in those numbers.”<br />
The police chiefs also said that there was a hate crime spike after
the 2016 referendum which fell, but never returned back to the levels
before the vote. Last year there was a 17% increase in <a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in body link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/16/hate-crime-brexit-terrorist-attacks-england-wales">hate crimes</a>, with 94,000 hate crimes recorded, and there are thought to have been considerably more.<br />
<br />
<b>Article courtesy of Vikram Dodd. Police and crime correspondent</b><br />
<b>https://www.theguardian.com/uk/police </b><br />
<br />
<br />Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-64468247175677030692018-10-19T12:11:00.000+01:002018-10-19T12:11:54.385+01:00Homicide rate in England and Wales highest since 2008 <a class="content__label__link" data-link-name="article section" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk/ukcrime"><span class="label__link-wrapper"></span>
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<img alt="Police at the scene of a shooting in north London" class="maxed responsive-img" itemprop="contentUrl" src="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/717769a48f365e192901fbcfbca65747a049762d/278_131_3856_2315/master/3856.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=73553c34aec1f5880b943a0de0aefb25" /><a class="article__img-container js-gallerythumbs" data-is-ajax="" data-link-name="Launch Article Lightbox" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/18/homicide-rate-in-england-and-wales-highest-since-2008#img-1"><span class="inline-expand-image inline-icon centered-icon rounded-icon article__fullscreen modern-visible"><svg class="centered-icon__svg rounded-icon__svg article__fullscreen__svg modern-visible__svg inline-expand-image__svg inline-icon__svg" height="22" viewbox="0 0 22 22" width="22"> </svg></span></a><span class="inline-triangle inline-icon hide-until-tablet"><svg class="hide-until-tablet__svg inline-triangle__svg inline-icon__svg" height="10" viewbox="0 0 11 10" width="11"></svg></span>Police at the scene of a shooting in north London in April. There were 719 homicides in the year to June.
Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA </div>
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<a class="article__img-container js-gallerythumbs" data-is-ajax="" data-link-name="Launch Article Lightbox" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/18/homicide-rate-in-england-and-wales-highest-since-2008#img-1"></a><div class="content__article-body from-content-api js-article__body" data-test-id="article-review-body" itemprop="articleBody">
<a class="article__img-container js-gallerythumbs" data-is-ajax="" data-link-name="Launch Article Lightbox" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/18/homicide-rate-in-england-and-wales-highest-since-2008#img-1"><div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
</a><div style="text-align: left;">
<a class="article__img-container js-gallerythumbs" data-is-ajax="" data-link-name="Launch Article Lightbox" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/18/homicide-rate-in-england-and-wales-highest-since-2008#img-1">The murder and manslaughter rate in England and Wales has risen to the highest in a decade, official figures show.There were 719 homicides – murder and manslaughter – in the year to
June, a 14% increase from 630 in the previous year excluding exceptional
incidents in 2017 such as the terrorist attacks in London and
Manchester, the </a><a class="u-underline" data-component="auto-linked-tag" data-link-name="auto-linked-tag" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk/office-for-national-statistics">Office for National Statistics</a> said. It was the highest number since 775 homicides were recorded in the year to March 2008.There were 39,332 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument, up
12% on the previous year, according to police-recorded data. The figure
excludes data from Greater Manchester police after a review identified
undercounting of crimes involving a knife or sharp instrument due to a
technical issue.
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There were also jumps in the numbers of recorded robberies (up 22%),
sexual offences (up 18%), vehicle-related theft (up 7%) and burglaries
(2%).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Total police-recorded crime rose by 9% as forces in England and Wales
registered a total of 5.6m offences in the year to June, the ONS said.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<figure class="element element-interactive interactive" data-alt="homicide chart" data-canonical-url="https://interactive.guim.co.uk/charts/embed/oct/2018-10-18T12:03:33/embed.html" data-interactive="https://interactive.guim.co.uk/embed/iframe-wrapper/0.1/boot.js">
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But the crime survey of England and Wales – a face-to-face survey of
people’s experiences of crime, which differs from police-recorded data –
showed no change at 10.7m offences during the period.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Joe Traynor, of the ONS centre for crime and justice, said: “Over
recent decades we’ve seen continued falls in overall levels of crime but
in the last year the trend has been more stable. The latest figures
show no change in the total level of crime but variation by crime types.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
“We saw rises in some types of theft and in some lower-volume but
higher-harm types of violence, balanced by a fall in the high-volume
offence of computer misuse. There was no change in other high-volume
offences such as overall violence, criminal damage and fraud.</div>
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'Sleepwalking into a nightmare': surge in crime paints a bleak picture
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“To put today’s crime survey figures into context, only two out of 10 adults experienced crime in the latest year.”</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The crime survey showed a 6% rise in offences when excluding fraud
and computer misuse, to 6.2m in the period. New victimisation questions
on fraud and computer misuse were introduced into the survey in October
2015 and the ONS said they were excluded when looking at changes in
crime over the longer term.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
John Apter, the chair of the <a class="u-underline" data-component="auto-linked-tag" data-link-name="auto-linked-tag" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk/police">Police</a>
Federation, which represents tens of thousands of rank and file
officers, said: “It didn’t take a crystal ball to predict these shocking
increases because they only reflect what we have been telling
government for years – we need more boots on the ground.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
“We can’t let the government get away with launching a serious
violence strategy which fails to make one single mention of the falling
numbers of police officers keeping the public safe. We have lost nearly
22,000 officers since 2010, and there are now <a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in body link" href="http://tracking.polfed.org/tracking/click?d=-zXGNBdmgWzHlJokKv30mEvaA8u8BHLMW-qDjI2XjtfB-XiApQ1g90eWsylNfiD0UBdIIXYzQikjFbsamD0ASRyQDPr7O4ooA-8EXFTEzIHih4mM0yYOViEgdz56cHfZNfcqSgix2tNbapcOAH1qa03SO1s7EekFIE4i6Fw6QooRCj_GNEKWgNRkQ-_ThCohLw2">only 122,404 across the whole of England and Wales</a> tasked with trying to stem the rising tide of violent crime. It’s not enough.” </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, said: “These figures are
truly shocking and must put an end to Tory austerity and police cuts.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
“You can’t keep the public safe on the cheap. The Tories … have now
cut over 21,000 police officers since 2010, leaving forces across the
country understaffed and overstretched.”</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The policing minister, Nick Hurd, said: “Although the chance of being
a victim remains low, we are taking decisive action in a number of
areas.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
“To combat serious violence our strategy addresses the root causes of
crime with a focus on early intervention and we have announced a new
£200m youth endowment fund to support young people at risk of
involvement in crime.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
“We are consulting on a public health approach to serious violence
and giving police extra powers to tackle knife crime through our
offensive weapons bill.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Article courtesy of www.theguardian.com</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b></b></div>
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<b></b></div>
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</figure> Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-54667394791599228692018-07-27T13:32:00.002+01:002018-07-27T13:34:52.130+01:00Crimestoppers launches a campaign to raise awareness of 'county lines'<h1 id="top" style="text-align: center;">
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Crimestoppers</h1>
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<img alt="" src="https://policeuk.s3.amazonaws.com/news/images/CS_County-Lines-July-2018_front_page.jpg?Signature=4Bz%2BE0XMNegEqln3ZajkeVsyWDI%3D&Expires=1532697264&AWSAccessKeyId=ASIAI2QKKJEDQXAS7JDQ&x-amz-security-token=FQoDYXdzELz//////////wEaDHlW%2BHD%2Btv2VAgohEiK3AzxzADG%2BqQBt8ZuD9BH7CYtgfKrjbd4yXm2g%2Br7adg/MMvkmubAoWtZsyMo4U6jQYr18%2BrpKeItC8wBJCMJzd%2B5Nxzz4hJIT6FQLs%2BdJpM9zxQkbRSkIu5wkjy4rfkRmblo04IzvnbZHLEvP3nL3Xw1bbQSuqjDcmZb1k%2BzRXXDflj1J40FRPKWOJu/Ecra/1Pb4fNJQbsW%2BeMflKXxdWwUl5lSP3q3FMP8wMEDOEyjq6/A2u7X0lEBJ%2BoztfT5gwKZVkY0Av6mKx0L2Brj3uteba5jAmHJHwk3r09vJrKASBPsQjlHvZWRzaB5hjeotHOD/jv/sck6IbG7b3lUa02UAEKi%2B9V0GDHkvBpP0Mkoym3ZIcvz987u1kNnvMIHYkYd/RAv1V5cinitdVAmDDYFYQ/PHmNO55Xj8s/H0K0BeIbMSziYauUGX6bSB38RLcEgI4r8WdUqtxFPVBq4cx4SGuZ9gnWVcBJ8H%2B%2B8fXm4/6rastHwviu3gywMtjyfjoiXKhSqL6MqJpGWJ%2BsmxEZz5FCNZo7U3c8OMJ%2BHc8hu3%2B/VxQ/pkWeD7IP43%2BAA176FDFKtf8yMowu/r2gU%3D" />
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
A national campaign aimed at raising public awareness of
‘county lines’ has been launched by Crimestoppers. Social media
advertising will show the signs to spot and encourage the public to
report concerns anonymously to Crimestoppers.<br />
County lines refers to gangs and organised criminal
networks which export illegal drugs into suburban, rural and coastal
areas, using dedicated mobile phone lines or “deal line”. These gangs
move into a rural or suburban area where they set up base, and exploit
children and vulnerable adults to move drugs and money. Many of those
exploited by these gangs have been forced to carry out criminal activity
by threats, grooming and extortion and can be described as modern day
slaves.<br />
<b>Increasing awareness</b><br />
To help the public understand what county lines is and encourage
reporting to Crimestoppers, the charity has launched a national
campaign. Social media advertising will help raise awareness of the
issue. During the campaign, an ad van will be present in key cities
across Yorkshire and Humberside, the West Midlands, Wales, Essex, Kent,
Surrey and Sussex during the campaign, to inform the public of county
lines and how they can help. <br />
Crimestoppers are working closely with the Home Office, who are
running a campaign which targets staff who may encounter young people
who are being exploited by county lines gangs. The Home Office campaign
targets staff in the transport, private security and accommodation
sector and provides them with information on how to identify if a young
person may be being exploited by county lines gangs and how to safeguard
that vulnerable young person. The Home Office’s campaign is just part
of a wider range of work, set out in the
<a href="https://bit.ly/2K4GiSE/html/" target="_blank">Serious Violence Strategy<small class="external-warning"> (opens in a new window)</small></a>, to tackle county lines. <br />
<b>Spot the signs and report concerns</b><br />
Crimestopppers’ campaign shows the signs to spot which might indicate
a child or vulnerable person is being exploited by a county lines gang.
The signs which you might see are: <br />
<ul>
<li>
A child or young person (sometimes as young as 12) in a shopping
centre or high street, or on public transport during school hours or
unusual hours (e.g. early in the morning, late at night.<br />
</li>
<li>
A child or young person who seems unfamiliar with the local area<br />
</li>
<li>
A child or young person being approached or intimidated by a controlling peer or group <br />
</li>
<li>
A child or vulnerable person who is deliberately avoiding authority figures such as police officers or security guards<br />
</li>
<li>
More people calling at a local address than normal, sometimes at unsociable hours <br />
</li>
<li>
Suspicious vehicles or people at an address <br />
</li>
<li>
A neighbour who has not been seen for a while <br />
</li>
</ul>
If you see something that doesn’t feel right, or looks suspicious,
you can report your concerns anonymously to Crimestoppers. You can
contact Crimestoppers anonymously on <b>0800 555 111</b> or send an untraceable
online form at <a href="https://crimestoppers-uk.org/" target="_blank" title="Crimestoppers-uk.org">Crimestoppers-uk.org<small class="external-warning"> (opens in a new window)</small></a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Article courtesy of www.police.uk </b><br />
<b></b><br />
<b></b><br />Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-49456448193355436152018-04-27T17:25:00.000+01:002018-04-27T17:49:31.861+01:00Prince Louis: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge reveal name of baby son<div class="media-primary">
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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have named their baby son Louis Arthur
Charles.<br />
In a statement, Kensington Palace said: “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
are delighted to announce that they have named their son Louis Arthur
Charles.<br />
“The baby will be known as His Royal Highness Prince Louis of Cambridge.”
<br />
The prince is the duke and duchess’s third child, the younger brother of
Prince George and Princess Charlotte, and the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh’s
sixth great-grandchild.<br />
Lord Louis Mountbatten was Prince Charles’s beloved great-uncle who was
assassinated by the IRA in 1979. Prince Louis of Battenberg was the Duke of
Edinburgh’s grandfather.<br />
<br />
The three names are popular choices recycled by the royal family. Prince
Charles is Charles Philip Arthur George, while <a class="u-underline" data-component="auto-linked-tag" data-link-name="auto-linked-tag" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk/prince-william">Prince
William</a> is William Arthur Philip Louis. Prince George’s full name is George
Alexander Louis.<br />
Bookmakers had Arthur as the favourite for some time, then Alexander.<br />
It has taken four days for the prince’s name to be released. He is fifth in
line to the throne, and was <a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in body link" draggable="true" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/23/duchess-of-cambridge-gives-birth-to-third-child">born on Monday</a> weighing 3.8kg
(8lbs 7oz). <br />
<br />
Both Prince George and Princess Charlotte’s names were revealed two days
after their births. But Prince William’s name was not made public for seven
days.<br />
Historically, royal names are not usually announced for several days. Prince
Harry was a recent exception. It was confirmed on the day he left hospital that
he would be called Henry, though would be known as Harry. Prince Charles’s name
was revealed one month after he was born, only being declared ahead of his
christening in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace in December 1948.<br />
The Queen is told, as a courtesy, before the name is announced.<br />
<br />
Bookmakers celebrated the news. Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said Louis had been
10th in terms of bets placed, with odds as long as 20/1.<br />
“Prince Louis has caught both bookies and punters by surprise. With it being
one of Prince George’s middle names, fans didn’t see it as an obvious
frontrunner for Kate and Wills’ second son,” he said.<br />
The announcement is likely to prompt a revival in popularity of the name.
While more common in the early 2000s, it had dropped to 71st place in the most
popular name ranking in England and Wales, according to the latest <a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in body link" draggable="true" href="http://names.darkgreener.com/#louis">Office for National Statistics
figures</a>. <br />
<br />
Blackpool Zoo immediately announced a baby Louis of its own in celebration,
bestowing the name upon a newborn double-humped Bactrian camel calf also born on
Monday morning.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><u><br /></u></span>
<b><span style="color: blue;"><u>Article courtesy of https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/27/duke-and-duchess-of-cambridge-name-their-baby-son-louis-arthur-charles</u></span> </b><br />
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Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-32207397663286547552018-03-19T11:51:00.003+00:002018-04-27T17:30:20.618+01:00New Mobile Fingerprint Device lets Police identify suspects in less than a minute<br />
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A new mobile fingerprint scanning system allows police to identify a
potential suspect in under a minute at the scene of an incident,
according to officers testing the technology.<br />
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The system involves a small device which connects to smartphones
already used by frontline officers and then uses the new Biometric
Services Gateway to search records held on both police and immigration
databases.<br />
<br />
West Yorkshire Police is working with the Home Office on a trial of
the system and the force is rolling out 250 of the scanners to officers
in the next few weeks.<br />
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The Home Office said it expects another 20 forces to be using it by the end of the year.
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Demonstrating the device, which looks like a small mobile wifi
dongle, Chief Inspector Ian Williams said: "For the first time we can
now identify somebody on the street through their fingerprints, through
those databases.<br />
"We can get photographs back of the individual, we can get a full PNC
(Police National Computer) record of the individual as well which gives
us a really thorough identification.<br />
"From
the moment we take the fingerprint we're getting results right through
to the PNC check and the photograph in less than a minute."<br />
<br />
Mr Williams said the speed of the process meant people could
sometimes be dealt with on the street without having to be taken to a
police station.<br />
<br />
An armed response unit using the device - which costs under £300 -
took 10 minutes to identify a driver and issue a summons - a process
which previously would have detained the team for four hours.<br />
<br />
Mr Williams said fingerprints taken by the device will not be added to any database as it does not record and store this data.<br />
<br />
<b>Article by Dave Higgens. Courtesy of www.independent.co.uk </b><br />
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<br />Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-20894034839972118312017-08-14T17:40:00.000+01:002017-08-14T17:40:40.688+01:00Big Ben Is About To Fall Silent For Four Years - Here's Why<div style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; font-family: NotoNashkArabic, ProximaNova-regular, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.0625rem; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px;">
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-size: 1.0625rem;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>The chimes of the world’s most iconic clock are to be silenced for the next four years while major conservation works are carried out.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-size: 1.0625rem;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Big Ben’s famous bongs will sound for the last time at noon on Monday, August 21, before they are paused until 2021 - ending more than 150 years of almost continuous timekeeping.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-size: 1.0625rem;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>The Elizabeth Tower, home to the Great Clock and Big Ben, is undergoing a complex programme of renovation aimed at preserving the landmark for future generations.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-size: 1.0625rem;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>A man with arguably one of the best job titles in the world, Keeper of the Great Clock Steve Jaggs said: “Big Ben falling silent is a significant milestone in this crucial conservation project.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-size: 1.0625rem;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>“As Keeper of the Great Clock I have the great honour of ensuring this beautiful piece of Victorian engineering is in top condition on a daily basis.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-size: 1.0625rem;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>“This essential programme of works will safeguard the clock on a long term basis, as well as protecting and preserving its home – the Elizabeth Tower.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue;"><b><span style="font-size: 1.0625rem;">“Members of the public are welcome to mark this important moment by gathering in Parliament Square to hear Big Ben’s final bongs until they return in 2021.”</span><span style="font-size: 1.0625rem;">The works will see the clock dismantled piece by piece, with each cog examined and restored. The four dials will be carefully cleaned, the glass repaired, the cast iron framework renewed, and the hands will be removed and refurbished.</span></b></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: NotoNashkArabic, ProximaNova-regular, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.0625rem; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<b style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue; font-size: 1.0625rem;">The Great Bell, popularly called Big Ben, weighs 13.7 tonnes and strikes every hour. It is accompanied by four quarter bells, which chime every 15 minutes, which will also cease to keep the workers in the tower safe. </b></div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: NotoNashkArabic, ProximaNova-regular, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.0625rem; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-size: 1.0625rem;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>The clock is operated by a custom built Victorian clockwork mechanism, which relies on gravity to trigger the renowned bongs. To stop the bells, the striking hammers will be locked and the bell disconnected from the clock mechanism, allowing the Great Clock to continue telling the time silently - but it will still chime for important national events, including New Year’s Eve and Remembrance Sunday</b></span></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: NotoNashkArabic, ProximaNova-regular, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.0625rem; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-size: 1.0625rem;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Big Ben has marked the hour with almost unbroken service for the past 157 years. The bongs last fell silent for maintenance in 2007, and before that between 1983-5 as part of a previous large scale refurbishment programme. </b></span></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: NotoNashkArabic, ProximaNova-regular, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.0625rem; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-size: 1.0625rem;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Scaffolding for the current conservation project started earlier this year, when scaffolding was put up and the first works will see the Ayrton Light (which shines to show that Parliament is sitting) renovated.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: NotoNashkArabic, ProximaNova-regular, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.0625rem; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-size: 1.0625rem;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>The team will then work its way down the building, removing scaffolding on the way. Most of the clock faces will be covered with the maintenance is underway, but one will always remain visible.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: NotoNashkArabic, ProximaNova-regular, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.0625rem; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-size: 1.0625rem;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Article courtesy of http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk </b></span></span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: NotoNashkArabic, ProximaNova-regular, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.0625rem; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px;">
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<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="advertisement entry_paragraph_4" data-beacon="{"p":{"mnid":"ad","lnid":"entry_paragraph_4"}}" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; display: inherit; font-family: NotoNashkArabic, ProximaNova-regular, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; width: 630px;">
<div class="vdb_player " id="579a0eb2db4bc65d970d26cb" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inherit !important; margin: 0px; max-height: 1px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px !important;" vdb_params="m.channel=politics&m.adminibar=true&m.o2inline=inview">
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: monospace; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; max-height: 0px; max-width: 640px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 0px 25px; position: relative; width: 630px;">
- ADVERTISEMENT -</div>
<div id="vdb_ba3b3203-a876-40e4-9903-34aa04124b2d" style="box-sizing: inherit; height: 354px; margin: 0px; max-height: 360px; max-width: 640px; padding: 0px 0px 25px; position: relative; width: 630px;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="100%" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" style="border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; height: 329px; width: 630px;" width="100%"></iframe><span style="font-size: 1.0625rem;">The Great Bell, popularly called Big Ben, weighs 13.7 tonnes and strikes every hour. It is accompanied by four quarter bells, which chime every 15 minutes, which will also cease to keep the workers in the tower safe. </span><span style="font-size: 1.0625rem;">The clock is operated by a custom built Victorian clockwork mechanism, which relies on gravity to trigger the renowned bongs. To stop the bells, the striking hammers will be locked and the bell disconnected from the clock mechanism, allowing the Great Clock to continue telling the time silently - but it will still chime for important national events, including New Year’s Eve and Remembrance Sunday.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="advertisement entry_paragraph_4" data-beacon="{"p":{"mnid":"ad","lnid":"entry_paragraph_4"}}" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; display: inherit; font-family: NotoNashkArabic, ProximaNova-regular, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; width: 630px;">
<div class="vdb_player " id="579a0eb2db4bc65d970d26cb" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inherit !important; margin: 0px; max-height: 1px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px !important;" vdb_params="m.channel=politics&m.adminibar=true&m.o2inline=inview">
<div style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: monospace; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; max-height: 0px; max-width: 640px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 0px 25px; position: relative; width: 630px;">
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<div id="vdb_ba3b3203-a876-40e4-9903-34aa04124b2d" style="box-sizing: inherit; height: 354px; margin: 0px; max-height: 360px; max-width: 640px; padding: 0px 0px 25px; position: relative; width: 630px;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="100%" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" style="border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; height: 329px; width: 630px;" width="100%"></iframe><span style="font-size: 1.0625rem;">The Great Bell, popularly called Big Ben, weighs 13.7 tonnes and strikes every hour. It is accompanied by four quarter bells, which chime every 15 minutes, which will also cease to keep the workers in the tower safe. </span><span style="font-size: 1.0625rem;">The clock is operated by a custom built Victorian clockwork mechanism, which relies on gravity to trigger the renowned bongs. To stop the bells, the striking hammers will be locked and the bell disconnected from the clock mechanism, allowing the Great Clock to continue telling the time silently - but it will still chime for important national events, including New Year’s Eve and Remembrance Sunday.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-54201499410852367362017-07-28T12:38:00.002+01:002017-07-28T13:15:53.452+01:00This Green thing !<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KJ7zgmF9nbzpdrFVTdkvmHkslMonsUYf-zhkdKU4YROa92zB52l-jdesx1q8xSVuke_s3bXSdJVmdWt34Vk1_Aj_5NOySPyVVTgsQ4i3vIaJdhE42pmz9Qxw3bL3WkJc9Fjf/s1600/Snotty+Receptionist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KJ7zgmF9nbzpdrFVTdkvmHkslMonsUYf-zhkdKU4YROa92zB52l-jdesx1q8xSVuke_s3bXSdJVmdWt34Vk1_Aj_5NOySPyVVTgsQ4i3vIaJdhE42pmz9Qxw3bL3WkJc9Fjf/s1600/Snotty+Receptionist.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>This has done the rounds before but it still brings a smile to my old face. I hope your sense of humour will appreciate it too !</b><br />
<b></b><br />
<b><span lang="EN-US">Checking out at the supermarket, the young cashier suggested to the
much older lady that she should bring her own grocery bags, because plastic bags
are not good for the environment. <span class="yiv8085505025m-8653466852095845540aolmailapple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span lang="EN-US"><br />
<span class="yiv8085505025m-8653466852095845540aolmailapple-converted-space"> </span>The
woman apologised to the young girl and explained, "We didn't have this 'green
thing' back in my earlier days."<span class="yiv8085505025m-8653466852095845540aolmailapple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br />The
young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care
enough to save our environment for future generations."<span class="yiv8085505025m-8653466852095845540aolmailapple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br />The
older lady said that she was right - our generation didn't have the "green
thing" in its day. The older lady went on to explain:<span class="yiv8085505025m-8653466852095845540aolmailapple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br />Back
then, we returned milk bottles, pop bottles and beer bottles to the shop. The
shop sent them back to the factory to be washed and sterilised and refilled, so
it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But
we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.<span class="yiv8085505025m-8653466852095845540aolmailapple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span lang="EN-US">Grocery
stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags that we reused for numerous
things. Most memorable besides household rubbish bags was the use of brown paper
bags as book covers for our school books. This was to ensure that public
property (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our
scribbling. Then we were able to personalise our books on the brown paper bags. </span></b><br />
<b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b>
<b><span lang="EN-US">But, too bad we didn't do the "green thing" back then.<span class="yiv8085505025m-8653466852095845540aolmailapple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span lang="EN-US">We
walked up stairs because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office
building. We walked to the grocers and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower
machine every time we had to go two blocks.<span class="yiv8085505025m-8653466852095845540aolmailapple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b><br />
<b><span lang="EN-US">But
she was right. We didn't have the "green thing" in our day.<span class="yiv8085505025m-8653466852095845540aolmailapple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span lang="EN-US"><br />Back
then we washed the baby's nappies because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We
dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 13 amps.
Wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got
hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new
clothing.<br /><br />But that young lady is right; we didn't have the "green
thing" back in our day</span></b><br />
<b><span lang="EN-US"><span class="yiv8085505025m-8653466852095845540aolmailapple-converted-space"> </span><br />Back
then we had one TV, or radio, in the house - not a TV in every room. And the TV
had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the
size of Gloucestershire. In the kitchen we blended and stirred by hand because we
didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a
fragile item to send in the post, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion
it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine
and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human
power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run
on treadmills that operate on electricity.<span class="yiv8085505025m-8653466852095845540aolmailapple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br />But
she's right; we didn't have the "green thing" back then.<span class="yiv8085505025m-8653466852095845540aolmailapple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br />We
drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic
bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled fountain pens with ink
instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blade in a razor instead
of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.<span class="yiv8085505025m-8653466852095845540aolmailapple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br />But
we didn't have the "green thing" back then.<span class="yiv8085505025m-8653466852095845540aolmailapple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b>
<b><span lang="EN-US">Back
then, people took the bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead
of turning their mums into a 24-hour taxi service in the family's £40,000 SUV,
which cost what a whole house did before the"green thing." We had one electrical
outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And
we didn't need a computerised gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites
out in space in order to find the nearest pub.<span class="yiv8085505025m-8653466852095845540aolmailapple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br />But
isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just
because we didn't have the "green thing" back then?<span class="yiv8085505025m-8653466852095845540aolmailapple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br />Please
encourage another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation
from a smart</span>-arsed<span class="yiv8085505025m-8653466852095845540aolmailapple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">young person to read this post.<br /><br />We
don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to piss us off.
Especially from a tattooed, multiple-pierced smart-arse who can't give change
without the cash register telling them how much !</span></b><br />
<b><span lang="EN-US"></span></b><br />
<b><span lang="EN-US"></span></b><br />
<b><span lang="EN-US"></span></b>Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-73901233312786344192017-04-24T11:46:00.001+01:002017-04-24T11:49:02.528+01:00Drones flying into prisons to be examined by new Police team<div class="story-body__introduction">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3N30oIdTn049VvP0v4a0_LrNolQehpeYNc8kVmt2jjep4nyU0_Nlf2X-V2Raao6V5e_snjg1pEgXGhM954Lee7iPQlL5oFXdthN4VdLaTGljqt30jmcYN6kQeF5HcrALJDbo/s1600/_95663737_mediaitem95663735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3N30oIdTn049VvP0v4a0_LrNolQehpeYNc8kVmt2jjep4nyU0_Nlf2X-V2Raao6V5e_snjg1pEgXGhM954Lee7iPQlL5oFXdthN4VdLaTGljqt30jmcYN6kQeF5HcrALJDbo/s1600/_95663737_mediaitem95663735.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="story-body__introduction">
<br /></div>
<div class="story-body__introduction">
The Prison Service and police are to
pool intelligence to stop drones flying drugs and mobile phones to
prison inmates in England and Wales.</div>
They will forensically examine captured drones to try to find out who was flying them.<br />
The invention of easy-to-fly, remote-controlled aircraft has caused a huge security headache for prisons.<br />
But critics have called the plan a "red herring" to distract people from "chaos and crisis" in prisons. <br />
<ul class="story-body__unordered-list">
<li class="story-body__list-item"><a class="story-body__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/38651486">Prisons under pressure - BBC News</a></li>
</ul>
The national initiative will see police and prison officers share information about the quadcopters and methods used.<br />
Prisons
Minister Sam Gyimah said: "We are absolutely determined to tackle the
illegal flow of drugs and mobile phones into our prisons and turn them
into places of safety and reform.<br />
"The threat posed by drones is
clear but our dedicated staff are committed to winning the fight against
those who are attempting to thwart progress by wreaking havoc in
establishments all over the country.<br />
"My message to those who
involve themselves in this type of criminal activity is clear: we will
find you and put you behind bars."<br />
<h2 class="story-body__crosshead">
Staff corruption</h2>
The
Prison Service could not give details about how many officers would be
involved, but reports suggested £3m would be spent on the new task
force.<br />
John Podmore, former head of the service's anti-corruption
unit, said whilst there was an issue with contraband in prisons,
targeting this money at drones was a "PR stunt". <br />
"I have seen no evidence that there is a real problem with drones," he told <a class="story-body__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p050bdf1">BBC Radio 4's Today programme</a>. "I think the number of incidents last year was 33. <br />
"There
are some 10,000 mobile phones found every year in prisons. My question
to the Prison Service would be, how many of those were found hanging
from drones?"<br />
Instead, Mr Podmore thought the service should be
looking the wider issue of contraband smuggling, including the "main
route [of] staff corruption".<br />
Mike Rolfe, national chair of the
Prison Officers Association, said prisoners had told him that they had
seen two or three drones a night delivering packages over the walls.<br />
However,
he said he agreed with Mr Podmore that the initiative was an attempt to
distract people from "the real issue [of] jails in complete chaos, in a
crisis and flooded with drugs, mobile phones and weapons".<br />
<h2 class="story-body__crosshead">
Recent successes</h2>
BBC
home affairs correspondent Daniel Sandford says prison walls are now
not much of a barrier for those wanting to smuggle contraband into
jails.<br />
There have been some recent successes in finding and
punishing those who are behind the drone flights, says the Ministry of
Justice.<br />
In December, Dean Rawley-Bell, 21, <a class="story-body__link-external" href="http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/ex-con-groomed-inmates-use-12350127">was jailed for four years and eight months</a> after he used a drone in attempts to smuggle drugs and mobile phones into Manchester Prison.<br />
Renelle Carlisle, 23, <a class="story-body__link-external" href="http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/dealer-caught-red-handed-drone-12099141">was sentenced to three years and four months</a> in October after he was caught outside Risley Prison in Warrington with a drone in his bag, trying to smuggle drugs inside.<br />
In July, 37-year-old Daniel Kelly was <a class="story-body__link-external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jul/21/man-jailed-for-using-drone-to-fly-drugs-into-prisons">jailed for 14 months</a>
for trying to supply contraband to offenders in Elmley and Swaleside
Prison in Sheppey, Wandsworth Prison in London and the Mount Prison in
Hemel Hempstead.<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Article courtesy of BBC News</b><br />
<br />
<br />Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-18035786835956353962017-02-17T11:47:00.001+00:002017-02-17T11:47:30.578+00:00Queen's Police Medal Awards<div class="block-2 " style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #0b0c0c; font-family: nta, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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Over half of the Queen’s Police Medals</div>
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have been awarded to officers below the rank of superintendent.</div>
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Nine rank and file police officers have been </div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
awarded <span style="line-height: 1.31579;">the </span><span style="line-height: 1.31579;">prestigious Queen’s Police Medal</span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.31579;">by Her Majesty </span><span style="line-height: 1.31579;">The Queen </span><span style="line-height: 1.31579;">as part of her</span><span style="line-height: 1.31579;"> </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-years-honours-list-2017" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.298039); border: none; color: #4c2c92; line-height: 1.31579; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">New Year’s Honours</a><span style="line-height: 1.31579;"> – 3 times the number </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.31579;">honoured in the</span><span style="line-height: 1.31579;"> </span><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/birthday-honours-lists-2016" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.298039); border: none; color: #4c2c92; line-height: 1.31579; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2016 Birthday Honours</a><span style="line-height: 1.31579;">.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
In one of her final actions as Home Secretary,</div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
Prime Minister<span style="line-height: 1.31579;">Theresa May recommended </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.31579;">that more officers below senior </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.31579;">ranks should receive the Queen’s Police Medal, </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.31579;">to recognise </span><span style="line-height: 1.31579;">the vital role they play in protecting </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.31579;">the public and address </span><span style="line-height: 1.31579;">an imbalance over to </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.31579;">whom the medal is awarded.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
Police leaders responded by putting forward </div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
a number <span style="line-height: 1.31579;">officers from junior ranks from </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.31579;">across England and Wales </span><span style="line-height: 1.31579;">who have shown </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.31579;">outstanding courage and distinguished </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.31579;">service in the line of duty. More than half </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.31579;">of the 17 </span><span style="line-height: 1.31579;">Queen’s Police Medals announced </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.31579;">today have been </span><span style="line-height: 1.31579;">awarded to officers below </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.31579;">the rank of superintendent.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said:</div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">These deserving recipients of Queen’s Police</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579;">Medals have gone above and beyond </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579;">the call of their </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579;">duties and it is absolutely </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579;">right that we recognise all of </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579;">those who serve </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579;">our communities and keep us safe.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579;">I am especially pleased by the response </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579;">from policing </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579;">leaders, who have made sure </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579;">that a shift in nominations </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579;">has led to a much </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579;">more representative group of officers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579;">receiving the medal. I look forward to seeing </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579;">many more </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579;">brave and talented individuals </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579;">at every rank of our police </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579;">forces being </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579;">honoured in this way in the future.</span><br />
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
The Queen’s Police Medal was instituted </div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
by its royal <span style="line-height: 1.31579;">warrant in 1954 and is awarded </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.31579;">to officers of any rank </span><span style="line-height: 1.31579;">for acts of courage </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.31579;">and/or conspicuous devotion to duty. </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.31579;">It superseded the King’s Police Medal, </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.31579;">which was </span><span style="line-height: 1.31579;">originally created in 1909.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
Minister for Policing and the Fire Service </div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
Brandon Lewis said: <span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">There are exceptionally </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">skilled, dedicated and professional </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">officers in all areas of our police forces, </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">from frontline </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">constables to senior leaders. </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">Honours such as the </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">Queen’s Police Medal </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">have been awarded for over </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">100 years to </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">recognise some of their exceptional </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">individual </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">contributions.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">I am delighted that more rank and file </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">officers have </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">been awarded the medal </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">this year, for dedication to </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">their duties and </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">acts of exceptional courage. I hope</span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">the example they have set continues to </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">inspire the </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">very best from officers and </span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.31579;">police staff in 2017.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
The recipients of the Queen’s Police Medal </div>
<div style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
are:</div>
<ul style="border: none; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; list-style-position: outside; margin: 10px 0px 10px 20px; padding: 7px 0px 3px;">
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">PC Ifor Williams </li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(Avon and Somerset Police)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Sergeant Timothy Slade </li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(City of London Police)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">PC Jacqueline Oliver</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(Metropolitan Police Service)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Chief Superintendent Martin Lloyd Fry</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(British Transport Police)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">PC Leslie Roger Eke </li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(Thames Valley Police)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">PC Christopher Smith </li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(Dorset Police)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">PC Louise Pye </li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(Sussex Police)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">PC Shirley Vivienne Lindsay </li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(Avon and Somerset Police)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Inspector Ian David Hanson </li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(Greater Manchester Police)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Detective Inspector Carol Ellwood </li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(Humberside Police)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Chief Superintendent Gordon Briggs</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> (Metropolitan Police Service)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Chief Superintendent Victor Olisa </li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(Metropolitan Police Service)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Chief Superintendent Jagdev Singh Atwal </li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(Derbyshire Constabulary)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Assistant Chief Constable David John Allard </li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(Ministry of Defence Police)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Temporary Assistant Chief Constable</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> Angela Williams (West Yorkshire Police)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Commander Simon Martin Letchford </li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(Metropolitan Police Service)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Chief Constable David Graham Jones </li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(North Yorkshire Police)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-61028097290360307062016-12-21T11:59:00.000+00:002016-12-21T11:59:12.850+00:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vYubb5PN6CYCID4Mjjvt2f-BZD87Z6jqdWuOrFsgMKCDpHDXxNBzk5p5-wvbD5tND15HSQJcgF3bzQO9fBkHi3sGx_VmUFXb3ovVFufiO-9HaKTV58quAhUaKN-egwuSPS2y/s1600/MERRY+CHRISTMAS.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vYubb5PN6CYCID4Mjjvt2f-BZD87Z6jqdWuOrFsgMKCDpHDXxNBzk5p5-wvbD5tND15HSQJcgF3bzQO9fBkHi3sGx_VmUFXb3ovVFufiO-9HaKTV58quAhUaKN-egwuSPS2y/s320/MERRY+CHRISTMAS.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: blue;">May the spirit of this Holy season remain with you always. Wishing for peace in this troubled world.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDU_Qd-0nTi7Tz3nPtSVmubXgw6C9wxShdJTq_9kMUiwpOZY4GHMNfDasOcBXs_BrMOjd8OLlQULS73UBEF6k6tKNdpQqDNx7Zqi_diqacEqYDBxJwIvB_wwJr9J17sh5Z34R/s1600/Mary+%2526+Child+Jesus+with+Xmas+trees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDU_Qd-0nTi7Tz3nPtSVmubXgw6C9wxShdJTq_9kMUiwpOZY4GHMNfDasOcBXs_BrMOjd8OLlQULS73UBEF6k6tKNdpQqDNx7Zqi_diqacEqYDBxJwIvB_wwJr9J17sh5Z34R/s320/Mary+%2526+Child+Jesus+with+Xmas+trees.jpg" width="254" /></a></span></b></div>
Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-47423952742397364312016-12-01T11:27:00.004+00:002016-12-01T11:40:40.563+00:00The Nightmare of Ageing ! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVqT_K3-k9gM5PvEt3dHKAuMHsKOfce_pldO1-6-v56yijyfNLtHFc5plXxUTMvwzmk4kdlxitxIt5Y3n1BO_UnPdu_v1lZcZ_dexx_VGk_kwWsX8b_cFA4w5juIfvT64u0GM/s1600/Snotty+Receptionist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVqT_K3-k9gM5PvEt3dHKAuMHsKOfce_pldO1-6-v56yijyfNLtHFc5plXxUTMvwzmk4kdlxitxIt5Y3n1BO_UnPdu_v1lZcZ_dexx_VGk_kwWsX8b_cFA4w5juIfvT64u0GM/s320/Snotty+Receptionist.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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HAVE YOU EVER BEEN GUILTY OF LOOKING AT OTHERS YOUR OWN AGE AND THINKING, SURELY I CAN'T LOOK THAT OLD? WELL... YOU'LL
LOVE THIS ONE!
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MY NAME IS ALICE SMITH AND I WAS SITTING IN THE WAITING ROOM FOR MY FIRST APPOINTMENT WITH A NEW DENTIST. I NOTICED HIS DENTAL DIPLOMA, WHICH BORE HIS FULL NAME
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SUDDENLY, I REMEMBERED A TALL, HANDSOME, DARK HAIRED BOY WITH THE SAME NAME HAD BEEN IN MY SECONDARY SCHOOL CLASS SOME 40-ODD YEARS AGO.
COULD HE BE THE SAME GUY THAT I HAD A SECRET CRUSH ON, WAY BACK THEN?
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UPON SEEING HIM, HOWEVER, I QUICKLY DISCARDED ANY SUCH THOUGHT. THIS BALDING, GREY HAIRED MAN WITH THE DEEPLY LINED FACE WAS FAR TOO OLD TO HAVE BEEN MY CLASSMATE. AFTER HE EXAMINED MY TEETH, I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD ATTENDED MORGAN PARK SECONDARY SCHOOL.
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'YES, YES I DID. I'M A MORGANNER!’ HE BEAMED WITH PRIDE. 'WHEN DID YOU LEAVE TO GO TO COLLEGE?' I ASKED, HE ANSWERED, IN 1965. WHY DO YOU ASK?<br />
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<br />
'YOU WERE IN MY CLASS!' I EXCLAIMED. HE LOOKED AT ME CLOSELY.<br />
THEN THE UGLY, OLD, BALD, WRINKLED, FAT ARSED, GREY HAIRED, DECREPIT, ASKED<br />
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<b> " WHAT SUBJECT DID YOU TEACH?’ </b>
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Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-45449180694899551222016-10-17T18:10:00.000+01:002016-10-17T18:18:03.762+01:00Parish Safety Volunteers<p>
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVmgHdJY8hG533c1fBEmQWghRKL7wpod7uEvYY8KFwt6RBp70cetWvPngSFo0FA4esEnTgYRY-GI0hcXl3Z5Y8p05odQThpdZ1wsDWEPSDIBUsYHqX33T7yjzG0iri9pnXACz/s1600/Emergency+services.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVmgHdJY8hG533c1fBEmQWghRKL7wpod7uEvYY8KFwt6RBp70cetWvPngSFo0FA4esEnTgYRY-GI0hcXl3Z5Y8p05odQThpdZ1wsDWEPSDIBUsYHqX33T7yjzG0iri9pnXACz/s320/Emergency+services.jpg" width="320" height="213" /></a></div>
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<center><bold><i><b>Multi-agency in Essex to help vulnerable people</b></center></bold></i>
<p>
</p>A new scheme will see Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and Essex Police working together to help make people safer in their homes.
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</p>
The Parish Safety Volunteer scheme sees volunteers delivering fire safety, crime prevention and signposting people to well-being advice and help to people living in the same Parish as them. Created using funding from Essex County Council's Strengthening Communities Board, the scheme is an example of the excellent collaborative work taking place between Essex police and fire services.
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</p>
Each visit will last around an hour and will include crime prevention advice, fire safety advice, fitting of free smoke alarms, and letting people know where to get the best health and wellbeing guidance.
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</p>
All of the volunteers undergo training by both police and fire service officers so they have the knowledge they need to deliver messages on behalf of both organisations. Two volunteers are already working in Wivenhoe and another 10 are nearing the end of their training and will soon be helping people in villages across the county. Acting Chief Fire Officer Adam Eckley said: “The Parish Safety Volunteer scheme is a fantastic example of the collaborative work taking place between us and Essex Police as we work together to make Essex safer.
<p>
</p>
“This is a community-based scheme and by using volunteers we are able to forge vital links in these communities which will live on long after the safety visit has taken place. “The volunteers all live in the same parish where they are carrying out the visits, they will be familiar faces to people in that community and that means that us and the police will have links to those people and their communities after the visits are over.
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“This scheme shows the direction both organisations are heading in as we work more closely together to deliver protection and prevention advice to communities across Essex.”
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</p>
Stephen Kavanagh, Chief Constable of Essex Police, said: “The enthusiasm and community spirit of Parish Safety Volunteers will be put to best use – making our communities safer.
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</P>
“For both the police and the fire service it’s really important that we provide the right training so volunteers can give out vital guidance to residents on fire safety and how to make their homes more secure. Every smoke alarm fitted and every lock securing a shed or security light putting off a would-be burglar adds value to the work Parish Safety Volunteers are doing.”
<p>
</p>
Learn more about how our emergency services are developing new service delivery models by attending the Congress on Reimagining the Emergency Services on November 16, at West Midlands Fire Service HQ, Birmingham. This brings together the fire and rescue service, the police and ambulance service to discuss and develop a new blueprint for an integrated service delivery model for the emergency services.
<p>
</p><b>
Article courtesy of www.fire-magazine.com</b>
<p>
</p>Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-19226682578185122412016-05-29T19:13:00.003+01:002016-05-29T19:14:34.572+01:00 Gorilla drags boy along Cincinatti Zoo moat<p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKTLgKjDI7qkLfe-F7lZJ_aN-TJVZbdNrgVrhCmLvzJwubo0Mu2jYV97EbCrQ_hAJ5IYtSGRVSKEBS2gHyeys6-MK-aN-IzTqcNENeVfYsw3tHmqy6lG1CnvlQvPnI9B03UFh/s1600/99364275_gorilla-NEWS-large_trans%252B%252Bhewy7_09PX1onCNt2U17QNeO3OBrXKq7vpCuhlFjRFo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKTLgKjDI7qkLfe-F7lZJ_aN-TJVZbdNrgVrhCmLvzJwubo0Mu2jYV97EbCrQ_hAJ5IYtSGRVSKEBS2gHyeys6-MK-aN-IzTqcNENeVfYsw3tHmqy6lG1CnvlQvPnI9B03UFh/s320/99364275_gorilla-NEWS-large_trans%252B%252Bhewy7_09PX1onCNt2U17QNeO3OBrXKq7vpCuhlFjRFo.jpg" /></a></div>
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</p>
Zoo shoots gorilla dead to protect boy who was pulled into enclosure.
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</p>
A special zoo response team shot and killed a gorilla on Saturday that grabbed and dragged a four-year-old boy who fell into the gorilla exhibit moat, the Cincinnati Zoo's director said.
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</p>
Authorities said the boy, who fell 10 to 12 feet, is expected to recover after being picked up out of the moat and dragged by the 17-year-old gorilla for about 10 minutes. He was taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
<p>
</p>
The three-year-old boy was deemed to be in a life-threatening situation when he fell into the gorilla exhibit moat. Director Thane Maynard said the zoo's dangerous animal response team that practices for such incidents decided the boy was in "a life-threatening situation" and that they needed to put down the 400-pound-plus male gorilla named Harambe.
<p>
</p>
"They made a tough choice and they made the right choice because they saved that little boy's life," Maynard said. "It could have been very bad."
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</p>
Maynard said he had not yet talked to the boy's parents.
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</p>
He said the gorilla didn't appear to be attacking the child, but he said it was "an extremely strong" animal in an agitated situation. He said tranquilising the gorilla wouldn't have knocked it out immediately, leaving the boy in danger.
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</p>
Maynard said it was the first time that the team had killed a zoo animal in such an emergency situation, and he called it "a very sad day" at the zoo. The lowland gorilla is an endangered species.
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</p>
The incident was reported at around 4pm. The area around the gorilla exhibit was closed off Saturday afternoon as zoo visitors reported hearing screaming.
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</p>
Harambe came to Cincinnati in 2015 from the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas.
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</p>
Hospital officials said they couldn't release any information on the child. Authorities hadn't released the child's name.
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</p>
Maynard said the zoo's Gorilla World area would be open as usual on Sunday. He said the zoo believed the exhibit remains safe. They are still investigating, but zoo officials believe the boy crawled through a railing barrier, then fell into the moat.
<p>
</p>
The zoo prides itself for its work in protecting endangered species, and has been part of successful captive breeding efforts in recent years in the effort to save the endangered Sumatran rhino.
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</p>
<i><b>Article courtesy of the Press Association.</b> </i>
<p>
</p>Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-51657036496765918682016-04-15T11:56:00.001+01:002016-04-15T11:56:26.183+01:00Food Bank use at record levels, says Trussell Trust charity<p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjT0q0_H1dGa75EqP2Rq5GNuxu_Ms5mI8GIeKPC6ZclmLqmHOTBcAgOGe492N5l6PGrrY3b2CHfK1Ip0BuaE8bXV_bx_BhueNqNyFHSCmHzioEnuiYDcEkZx_L1jW-jPllEpEp/s1600/https%25253A%25252F%25252Fnews.static.press.net%25252Fv2%25252Fimage%25252Fproduction%25252F39bab335be258c930fc020dcca617562%25252F2.19585155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjT0q0_H1dGa75EqP2Rq5GNuxu_Ms5mI8GIeKPC6ZclmLqmHOTBcAgOGe492N5l6PGrrY3b2CHfK1Ip0BuaE8bXV_bx_BhueNqNyFHSCmHzioEnuiYDcEkZx_L1jW-jPllEpEp/s320/https%25253A%25252F%25252Fnews.static.press.net%25252Fv2%25252Fimage%25252Fproduction%25252F39bab335be258c930fc020dcca617562%25252F2.19585155.jpg" /></a></div>
Food bank use remains at record levels, with more than 1.1 million units of emergency supplies given out by a leading charity in the last year, figures have revealed.
The Trussell Trust said there was a 2% increase in three-day supplies provided to people from its network of 424 food banks in the 2015/16 financial year.
More than 415,000 went to children, while on average people were referred to food banks twice in the past year.
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</p>
Almost half of food banks said there had been an increase in the number of people needing emergency supplies because of benefit sanctions, while other problems included low wages, high living costs or insecure work contracts.
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</p>
The trust said a million emergency food supplies a year must not become the "new normal".
Trust chief executive David McAuley said: "Today's figures on national food bank use prove that the numbers of people hitting a crisis where they cannot afford to buy food are still far too high.
"One million three-day food supplies given out by our food banks every year is one million too many.
"Reducing UK hunger will require a collective effort from the voluntary sector, Government, businesses and the public, and the Trussell Trust is keen to work with all these groups to find solutions that stop so many people needing food banks in future."
<p>
</p>
The report said there was a clear link between food bank use and areas of high deprivation.
More than 40,000 volunteers helped at food banks in the past year and the public donated over 10,500 tonnes of food. Most of the trust's food banks also offer legal and welfare advice, housing support and clothes. The trust said its figures do not reveal the full scale of food poverty in the UK because other groups also offer food aid.
<p>
</p>
A Government spokesman said: "Reasons for foodbank use are complex so it is misleading to link them to any one thing.
"This Government is determined to move to a higher-wage society, introducing the new National Living Wage that will benefit over one million workers directly this year, and we're also spending £80 billion on working-age benefits to ensure a strong safety net for those who need it most.
"The vast majority of benefits are processed on time and the number of sanctions have actually gone down."
<p>
</p>
Shadow environment, food and rural affairs secretary Kerry McCarthy said: "It is a national scandal that food bank usage is continuing to rise.
"Food banks have become a truly shameful symbol of a Tory Government that is failing to stand up for ordinary people. While those at the top are given tax breaks, others are struggling to get by.
"Emergency food aid should remain just that - food banks can never be allowed to become a permanent feature of British society."
<p>
</p>
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: "Following hard on the heels of the billions stashed abroad by the rich and powerful we have today's heart-rending report from the Trussell Trust that hundreds of thousands of our fellow-citizens, including children, are struggling, one step away from starvation, in the fifth richest economy in the world.
"If anything demonstrated the fierce and burning inequality engulfing our country, it is the repugnant contrast between a rich elite who can enjoy tax-light arrangements for the cash they have squirrelled away in the British Virgin Islands with the tales of daily despair emanating from the trust's 424 foodbanks."
<p>
</p>
Dr Eilidh Whiteford, the SNP's spokeswoman for Social Justice and Welfare, said: "That there is already an existing and desperate need for foodbanks in Scotland and across the UK is a complete disgrace but these figures show that foodbank use is actually increasing which shows just how badly the Tories have got it wrong."
<p>
</p>
Rachael Orr, Oxfam's head of UK programme said: "It's worrying that the number of food parcels given out by the Trussell Trust has risen yet again, topping a million for the second year in a row."
<p>
</p>
<i><b>Article courtesy of the Press Association.</b></i>
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</p>Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-28926847840309058922016-04-04T19:06:00.001+01:002016-04-04T19:08:32.330+01:00Major Drop In Cannabis Arrests is 'Decriminalisation By Stealth'<p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iFChzP-jLn1n7YYxB0x2pyBc0WW5biQsdaLjzaST_2Eavk5qtfFSq9fdCBijtqjmovL8wJn0-iAYYpvDlVs-FXKITGt3hl-OjnIQMhdbHHMtxHajrZJ2ZWUv5HO2WZ1N4DJL/s1600/Cannibis+offences+down.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iFChzP-jLn1n7YYxB0x2pyBc0WW5biQsdaLjzaST_2Eavk5qtfFSq9fdCBijtqjmovL8wJn0-iAYYpvDlVs-FXKITGt3hl-OjnIQMhdbHHMtxHajrZJ2ZWUv5HO2WZ1N4DJL/s320/Cannibis+offences+down.jpeg" /></a></div>
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Figures showing arrests for cannabis possession in England and Wales have almost halved have divided police and pro-cannabis campaigners who say they reflect two very different realities.
Police and the Police Federation distanced themselves from suggestions that the figures showed the force’s stance on cannabis crime had softened, and suggested the decrease was more a reflection of staffing cuts and directives to focus on more serious offences.
Cannabis campaigners, however, said the figures were further evidence that the “war on drugs” is failing and that “decriminalisation is occurring by stealth”.
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<b>DANNY LAWSON</b>/PA ARCHIVE
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Arrests for cannabis possession in England and Wales have almost halved since 2010
Figures published by the BBC on Monday revealed that arrests for cannabis had dropped 46%; cautions had fallen by 48% and the number of people charged had fallen by 33%.
The statistics, released under the Freedom of Information Act, are in contrast to Crime Survey data which suggested that cannabis use remained roughly the same from 2010-2015.
The statistics - from 32 of 43 police forces - showed arrests for cannabis possession fell from 35,367 to 19,115; cautions for possession fell from 9,633 to 5,036 and people charged with possession dropped from 15,366 to 10,220.
Arrests for possession with intent to supply remained about the same - 4,934 in 2010 and 5,012 in 2015.
Last July Durham Police said it would no longer target or investigate cannabis users, or those growing the class-B drug for their own use, which Chief Constable Mike Barton told the BBC had “freed up our staff to deal with things that are more important”.
Barton told the Huffington Post UK that the figures “are probably a reflection of forces tackling emerging issues such as child sexual exploitation and cybercrime, rather a more liberal approach to law enforcement in general”.
He reiterated that Durham Police are not going soft on cannabis crime, saying: “This is about intelligence gathering and deploying a smaller police force to that which is harming the communities, a student smoking a spliff in their bedroom is illegal but I would not expect my staff to get a search warrant to try and arrest them.”
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<b>TOM WILKINSON</b>/PA WIRE
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Durham Police Chief Constable Mike Barton said he has “always made it clear that I would welcome a grown up debate on current drugs laws”, however, in the meantime his officers will continue to enforce the law, “especially targeting dealers”.
He added: “The debate needs to be between the public and politicians, assisted by the press.
“My contribution to the debate is as a tough crime fighter with a legacy of law enforcement.
“I’ve spent 36 years targeting drug dealers, I’m proud of what my colleagues have done, some officers displaying immense courage, but drugs are now cheaper, purer and more prevalent that when I joined the police in 1980. My conclusion is that we need to consider change.”
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Steve White, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “It would be dangerous for anyone to look at the drop in arrest numbers and conclude there is less crime, or indeed infer there is a change in attitude towards particular crimes.”
White said “cuts” to police numbers were to blame, although he admitted it “is hard to be specific about the exact reasons why arrest figures for cannabis possession are lower”.
However, he added: “It would be fair to suggest that a lack of police resources and a resulting need to place focus in difference areas may well have contributed to this change.
“The cuts have meant that forces need to make hard decisions about where resources are being spent, and as a result different forces are focusing on different crimes, dependent on their communities, which could account for some of the differences.”
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Transform senior policy analyst Steve Rolles welcomed the figures saying a drop in arrests is “good news whatever the reason” as criminalising thousands of young people is “expensive and completely counterproductive”.
Steve White said "It would be dangerous for anyone to look at the drop in arrest numbers and conclude there is less crime, or indeed infer there is a change in attitude towards particular crimes”
Rolles added that it was “striking” that cannabis use had fallen at a time when enforcement had decreased in intensity.
He said: “In direct contrast to the Government’s tough on drugs rhetoric, its clear that levels of use have little or nothing to do with policing tactics, so why do we continue to criminalise and punish, especially when we have such positive evidence from countries that take a different approach?
“Its time to end the war on drug users altogether and deal with drugs as a public health issue to be responsibly managed.”
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Lee Harris, London Mayoral candidate for the Cannabis is Safer Than Alcohol party told The Independent the drop in arrests is reflective of a “bigger trend around the world as governments at national and regional levels are developing rational, evidence based policies as alternatives to criminalising cannabis consumers”.
Harris continued: “Not only does this help to protect consumers, it puts valuable tax receipts back into supporting public services. Here in the UK and in London decriminalisation is occurring by stealth.”
“This still leaves the black market and organised crime as the sole provider. This is unacceptable given the potential health risks and the impact on communities. Surely now we must accept the need to regulate and tax cannabis consumption in the public interest.”
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Article with courtesy of Steven Hopkins, News Reporter of The Huffington Post (UK)
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</p>Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-53990059481261792472016-03-09T12:24:00.001+00:002016-03-09T12:29:04.062+00:00Classic Irish Humour<p>
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<center><b>Catholic Hair Dryer</b></center>
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Catholic school students are taught that lying is a sin. However, instructors are also advised that using a bit of imagination is OK to express the truth differently without lying. Below is a perfect example of this teaching:
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<center><b>Getting a Hairdryer Through Customs</b></center>
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<Center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9axhroZ7hXc6SvrBP2TTtVvhIwnHHX9UUCtOK1RZIfqb19vwRwrbEhVfPmsyy41kdsuVPgq9kpwPnwFg_OOFptTBTqeknz-iAvZuvl6_FoNpUvejOs4wgceatEiJ2l1vgF8TK/s1600/Priests+in+Pyjamas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9axhroZ7hXc6SvrBP2TTtVvhIwnHHX9UUCtOK1RZIfqb19vwRwrbEhVfPmsyy41kdsuVPgq9kpwPnwFg_OOFptTBTqeknz-iAvZuvl6_FoNpUvejOs4wgceatEiJ2l1vgF8TK/s320/Priests+in+Pyjamas.jpg" /></a></div></center>
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An attractive young woman on a flight from Ireland asked the priest beside her, 'Father, may I ask a favour?'
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'Of course child. What can I do for you?'
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'Well, I bought my mother an expensive hair dryer for her birthday. It is unopened but well over the customs limits and I'm afraid they'll confiscate it. Is there any way you could carry it through customs for me? Could you possibly hide it under your robes for me?'
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'I would love to help you my dear but, I must warn you, I will not tell a lie.'
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'With your honest face, Father, I'm sure that no one will question you.'
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When they got to customs, she let the priest go first. The official asked, 'Father, do you have anything to declare?'
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'From the top of my head down to my waist I have nothing to declare.'
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The official thought this answer a little strange, so he asked, 'And what do you have to declare from your waist to the floor?'
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'I have a marvellous instrument that has been designed for use on women, but which, to date, remains unused.'
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Roaring with laughter, the official said, 'Go ahead, Father. Next please!
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Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-89361209823976759812016-03-07T12:16:00.000+00:002016-03-07T12:25:26.949+00:00Moose Incident - Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada<p>
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The strange things that happen in today's World. Truth is stranger than fiction !
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Without the picture, this would be very hard to believe. Read under the picture.
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJCqFnPorttDlyqOJZeS-jC5ITemb6s0NhUej-lMSC4_KK0_oE7D1D4Z342aqpfK3etAPIFDF6vOTojxS7fD29SpBo9P2TU2PM6JHaK2wc9AkLUqwP4O60yQlyWjBr-GnoXRa/s1600/Moose+Ontario.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJCqFnPorttDlyqOJZeS-jC5ITemb6s0NhUej-lMSC4_KK0_oE7D1D4Z342aqpfK3etAPIFDF6vOTojxS7fD29SpBo9P2TU2PM6JHaK2wc9AkLUqwP4O60yQlyWjBr-GnoXRa/s320/Moose+Ontario.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>They were laying new power cables which were strung on the ground for miles. The moose are rutting right now and very agitated. He was thrashing around and got his antlers stuck in the cables.
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When the men (miles away) began pulling the lines up with their big equipment, the moose went up with them. They noticed excess tension in the lines and went searching for the problem. He was still alive when they lowered him to the ground. He was a huge 60 inch bull and slightly peeved!</b>
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With thanks to my good friend Barry Brenham, who lives in Ontario, for sharing this amazing picture with us.
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</p>Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-68993391320815489892016-01-08T17:27:00.002+00:002016-01-08T17:32:00.705+00:00Be Cyber Streetwise and Think Random to create strong passwords this January<p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7QqemygPayxfV1epRklyk-_CyKrnrVdo8lDfSOORiBjzd6GdAv1yYm5Rflx5tJFJDQ47RyVD-ipHxFdoaAGqwpxitl7xBnb4kbXQIkTg6enMKbaawuoqFUfeInR5usC4hYTd/s1600/BeCyberstreet_Stack_Logo_22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7QqemygPayxfV1epRklyk-_CyKrnrVdo8lDfSOORiBjzd6GdAv1yYm5Rflx5tJFJDQ47RyVD-ipHxFdoaAGqwpxitl7xBnb4kbXQIkTg6enMKbaawuoqFUfeInR5usC4hYTd/s320/BeCyberstreet_Stack_Logo_22.jpg" /></a></div>
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To help people be more secure online, the Cyber Streetwise #thinkrandom campaign is urging people to think ‘random’ to create strong passwords.
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More people now store valuable data – both personal and business – on devices like a smartphone, tablet or computer. If a hacker gains access to your device they could cause a lot of damage – for example, they can access sensitive data such as your email or bank details or your clients’ details if you are a business owner.
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To help you keep your data secure, a new Cyber Streetwise campaign has been launched to encourage you to create strong passwords by using three random words. Combining three words which mean something to you but are random to others will create a password that is strong and more memorable. Use separate passwords for your business and home account as well to further decrease the chances of multiple security breaches.
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Cyber Streetwise’s #thinkrandom campaign will be promoting the use of three random words from 8 – 10 January 2016 from its Facebook and Twitter (opens in a new window) accounts to help people be more secure online and thwart cyber criminals. Keep an eye out for a range of inspirational random ideas and don’t’ forget to share the posts.
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The #thinkrandom campaign is part of the wider Cyber Streetwise campaign which is encouraging people to take three simple steps to help stay secure online. These are:
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Make passwords stronger by using three random words
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Install security software on all devices
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Always download the latest software updates
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Posting courtesy of <b>www.police.uk</b> <a href="http://www.police.uk"></a>
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</p>Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-29897284339286868982015-12-19T14:18:00.001+00:002015-12-19T14:26:29.679+00:00Plans for PCC's to oversee fire services 'dangerous'
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxWt63dGjfgUnIQ6ZTtYLd59hEPHcS9rlxLUBRy7UDFs2fsISO3BwFaCsdvIUU_dhOamoC1SrJ-7y9tslu2CpjN7Y5ufNysBrqW_pRi5cq-YKPSRIeY1VKn-ZnFaeYBPw2Jan/s1600/_87294350_87294349+Fire+%2526+Rescue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxWt63dGjfgUnIQ6ZTtYLd59hEPHcS9rlxLUBRy7UDFs2fsISO3BwFaCsdvIUU_dhOamoC1SrJ-7y9tslu2CpjN7Y5ufNysBrqW_pRi5cq-YKPSRIeY1VKn-ZnFaeYBPw2Jan/s320/_87294350_87294349+Fire+%2526+Rescue.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Picture courtesy of the Press Association.</b>
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Plans to allow fire and rescue services in England to be overseen by police and crime commissioners have been called "dangerous" by the Fire Brigades Union.
The Home Office is due to take control of fire and rescue policy in 2016, with the government consulting on emergency services working together more closely.
Ministers argue it could lead to large savings and benefits to the public.
But the FBU said PCCs governing fire and rescue services would cause the "fragmentation" of emergency services.
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<b>'Threaten' public trust</b>
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Currently fire and rescue services are overseen by bodies made up of local councillors.
The government has said it wants to see a more joined-up approach in the way police and fire services work together.
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As well as proposing to make PCCs responsible for some fire services, it has also said that fire chiefs could become chief constables and run both police and fire services under a PCC.
But the FBU said associations with the police could damage the trust firefighters have built in their communities.
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In a statement on its website, the union said PCCs did not "bring any skills or expertise to the the fire and rescue service", with some having an "unfortunate record for ill-judged interference in operational matters".
It added: "Enabling PCCs to govern fire and rescue services will neither deliver economic, efficient or effective emergency services, nor optimise public safety.
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<b>'Half baked suggestion'</b>
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FBU general secretary Matt Wrack described the proposal as a "half baked suggestion" and accused "one or two" PCCs supporting the plan of "empire building".
He told the BBC: "There's very little evidence, there's no research been carried out, there's no support for it among firefighters and there's no support for it among police officers, there's no support among local communities and yet the government seems to be intent on forcing it though."
But Surrey PCC Kevin Hurley said: "There are many similarities in the way in which fire services and police services work, the way they are trained, the way they acquire their equipment and so on."
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Mr Hurley said it would be better for the services to work together to support merging "back office functions" and "make the best of this in the public interest", rather than trying to block the proposals.
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"Money is always going to be an issue in terms of what the fire service or police can put out into the field, and there are all sorts of opportunities to take cost out and put that money back into the front line," he added.
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Home Secretary Theresa May said she was "determined" to improve efficiency in fire and rescue services.
She said fire services had poor procurement, IT systems and buildings management and indicated plans to introduce an independent inspectorate as well as ordering routine performance data to be published.
Mrs May said: "I look at the fire and rescue service and I see the need for many of the same reforms that I started in policing five years ago.
"Better local accountability, more transparency and a relentless focus on efficiency.
"So, while I continue to finish the job of reform in policing, I am also determined to properly kick start the job of reform in fire."
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She added that allowing PCCs to take over fire and rescue authorities would "provide direct, democratic accountability in fire as we now have in policing".
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The FBU said the plans were a "smokescreen for the government's cost-cutting" and would negatively affect polices forces, too.
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<i><b>Article courtesy of the BBC.</b></i>
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</p>Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-68218277405913436162015-12-16T17:03:00.002+00:002015-12-19T14:25:37.238+00:00Christmas greetings to bloggers everywhere<p>
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<i><b>I send my warmest Christmas greetings to all my blogger friends and hope that you and your families will be blessed with much joy, love and peace as we celebrate the reason for the Season:-></b> </i>
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<Center><bold><i>The Holy Family</center></bold></i>
<center><bold><i> Mary, Joseph and the infant child Jesus</center></bold></i>
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<i><b>May the New Year bring you the blessing of great happiness and good health. I am very mindful that I have neglected my postings in recent months for which I apoligize to my regular readers, especially my most loyal blogger Annette. I will try my best to rectify that situation in 2016.</b></i>
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</p>Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-19388345669197536122015-09-14T10:31:00.000+01:002015-09-14T10:31:37.955+01:00Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II<p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqXObDfja5Z8ePVbQkwJVv2n_bbl4opeXVRjoiDF-dc5wdd6K0DNiOXMCWDGfn4cQRBnpKkJy2iMHsufnpQjaBTQtl63l_H1919KUub8HWW46T4mZEKZaEEC8cRuHcTwkVfJz/s1600/Queen+Elizabeth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqXObDfja5Z8ePVbQkwJVv2n_bbl4opeXVRjoiDF-dc5wdd6K0DNiOXMCWDGfn4cQRBnpKkJy2iMHsufnpQjaBTQtl63l_H1919KUub8HWW46T4mZEKZaEEC8cRuHcTwkVfJz/s320/Queen+Elizabeth.jpg" /></a></div>
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Heartfelt congratulations to our beloved Queen Elizabeth on becoming, last week, the longest ever serving Sovereign of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, surpassing her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria who reigned for 63 years and 226 days.
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A remarkable achievement and one served with outstanding loyalty and dedication to all of her subjects both at home and throughout the Commonwealth of Nations.
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Long may she continue to reign over us and may God bless her with good health and wise counsel.
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Since the age of 8 Her Majesty has been my Queen. I still proudly possess the silver Coronation spoon presented to me at our local Coronation sports day. Many years later I was on uniformed police duty when she visited Plymouth during her Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977.
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I also thank God for the whole Royal Family and HRH Prince Philip in particular for his constant love and support of Her Majesty throughout her extremely long reign.
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</p>Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-75905839421750490272015-08-10T12:48:00.001+01:002015-08-10T12:51:30.073+01:00True friends are priceless<p>
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TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING THROUGH THE DESERT . DURING SOME POINT OF THE JOURNEY, THEY HAD AN
ARGUMENT; AND ONE FRIEND SLAPPED THE OTHER ONE IN THE FACE. THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING, WROTE IN THE SAND , 'TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE'. THEY KEPT ON WALKING, UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS, WHERE THEY DECIDED TO TAKE A BATH. THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN
SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE MIRE AND STARTED DROWNING, BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM.
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AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM THE NEAR DROWNING, HE WROTE ON A STONE: 'TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE'. THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND ASKED HIM WHY? HE REPLIED, 'WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN IN SAND, WHERE WINDS OF FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY.. BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING GOOD FOR US, WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE WHERE NO WIND CAN EVER ERASE IT'
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LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE. THEY SAY IT TAKES A
MINUTE TO FIND A SPECIAL PERSON, AN HOUR TO APPRECIATE THEM, A DAY TO LOVE THEM, BUT THEN , AN ENTIRE LIFE TO FORGET THEM !
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<b>Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
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Lose with dignity. Win with humility </b>
<p>
</p>Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37149788.post-24721482710769923422015-07-23T11:18:00.002+01:002015-07-23T11:18:53.644+01:00Car with toy Llama strapped to roof stopped by Police<p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7EXAv2SZmWTCcwKpqpA_adTchdb2ddiCJUBDXXNHPF0qcCv-GL-wJPmLZLsZfocHzK21Fvj3-nvC4Gvo7wjNWWetnoAxi0uqkijE-LhuSGrg3Ju5MYW-ri5f88UzvCogTUavN/s1600/da4c0e4c96ff9048008148127c9994db.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7EXAv2SZmWTCcwKpqpA_adTchdb2ddiCJUBDXXNHPF0qcCv-GL-wJPmLZLsZfocHzK21Fvj3-nvC4Gvo7wjNWWetnoAxi0uqkijE-LhuSGrg3Ju5MYW-ri5f88UzvCogTUavN/s320/da4c0e4c96ff9048008148127c9994db.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>The interestingly decorated hatchback has been driving around Sussex with music blaring and the boot open !</b>
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<b>Courtesy of Scott Docherty - www.policeoracle.com Picture credit: Sussex West RPU/Twitter</b>
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</p>Old Plodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11792506614542220390noreply@blogger.com0