Like we all knew this was coming(from the BBC news).

A policeman stopped for speeding while driving Home Secretary Jack Straw in his official car will not face prosecution.
The announcement from Avon and Somerset Police comes four months after Mr Straw's car was stopped on the M5 motorway.

Mr Straw's unmarked Jaguar, driven by his armed bodyguard, was said to have been doing more than 100mph when it was pulled over on the southbound carriageway.

The incident happened as the car was being driven along the M5 by a special branch officer en route to a Labour Party meeting in Exeter on 9 July.

Police allowed the car to continue after taking the name of the Special Branch officer, who has not been named.

'Insufficient evidence'

In a statement police said the driver had "believed that there was a potential risk to the home secretary's security, and decided to use speed to create distance between the risk and the home secretary, in line with his training".

Police said the Chief Crown Prosecutor for Avon and Somerset had reviewed all the evidence and advised there was "insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction against the Metropolitan Police Service driver".

Downing Street said at the time it would not intervene on the driver's behalf.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair said: "The law provides for speed limits, the police have the discretion to apply them as they see fit".

'Lead by example'

Mr Straw was criticised after the incident by the Police Federation.

Metropolitan Police Federation chairman Glen Smyth said at the time: "The home secretary needs to lead by example and this is not the example to set."

The home secretary has been vocal in his support for "zero tolerance" towards speeding motorists, and the government has been active in installing new speed cameras around the country.

Under court guidelines any motorist going over 100mph can be banned from driving and fined up to £800.

So, in theory if I speed away from a car that's tailgating me and is generally acting threating towards me, when i've got my wife and kid in the car I can claim that it's a 'potential risk to my security' and get away with it, even if there is no evidence to support the said car was there in the first place.

Thought so.

 

One rule for them, another for the rest of us. It was hardly a surprise though.

 

What a load of b0llox

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Neil Smalley:
<B>

So, in theory if I speed away from a car that's tailgating me and is generally acting threating towards me, when i've got my wife and kid in the car I can claim that it's a 'potential risk to my security' and get away with it, even if there is no evidence to support the said car was there in the first place.

[/quote]


Worked for Beckham!!

Police and politicians - is there anything worse?

Like the motorway pig, sorry - gentleman of the constabulary, on the motorway program on Monday night, who in order to catch a Volvo doing 103mph on a dry, non-busy motorway, felt perfectly justified in travelling at 140mph for 5 miles - and still didn't catch him Apparently at the same time a woman was attacked and raped less than a mile away! mmmm priorities right then!

Is there any wonder there is less respect for the police than there is for stray dogs? and almost as little as for New Labia!

< Jim Royle mode on >

Serve and Protect - my ****!

< Jim Royle mode off >

Motorists are just to easy a target, too easy to make treasury money from, and too easy a way to improve 'crime' figures.

You can rape, murder or steal - just make sure you don't speed away from the scene of the crime!!

[This message has been edited by GaryC (edited 25 November 2000).]

 

Sorry I have to say that the police are treating speeding as the same as any other criminal activity.

Most of us admit to being "enthusiastic" if the conditions allow. How often are we caught, I have 3 points and have speeded countless times - giving a crime capture rate of approximately 0.01% - see my point this figure is the national average for every type of crime resolution.

(please treat this thread as tongue in cheek - as most of the time I have the upmost respect for the police and other emergency services staff - ask yourself would you want to do it! (think carefully))

oh and as regards to the original post I think it is disgraceful that the driver has avoided any charges. Wasn't the original excuse that he was late for a meeting - or was that the bus lane fiasco?

jjones

 

It's a bloody disgrace. Curruption runs rife.

 

Harsh words gary.

 

At least those who live in Blackburn can vote Jack Straw out of his job (soon). Time for the worm to turn!

mb

 

I think that all police, MP's, Lords, government officials, local councilors, NHS staff & teachers should be able to drive at whatever speed they wish. Also they should have special VIP lanes down the middle of each road.

 

So what you are saying is that you are happy with the status quo.

 

It's a free country..

You are free to speed
Police are free to book you for it...

Remember you don't get done for speeding, you get done for getting caught.

DJ

 

Nick i wholeheartly agree

 

Nick, a little known tip: anyone who wants can have their own private lane on the motorway. It's even painted a different colour.

Unfortunately you have to be driving a bus to take advantage of this 'rule', and live near the M4.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Kevin2000:
<B> Harsh words gary.[/quote]

Harsh treatment Kevin!

 

You can't blame the police for this one - not the local constabulary anyway - it was the CPS that made the decision.

On the general point of how the police deploy their resources (concentrating on speeding motorists rather than catching drug dealers, theives, rapists etc) - This is down to politics - It is politicians, in thrall to the safety lobby, who dicttate policy in this matter.

Basically, if you don't like it, organise, demonstrate, vote for someone else, create your own motorists lobby, and so on.

JD

 

A motorists' lobby already exists: