Dick Kirby - Operation Countryman: The Flawed Enquiry into London Police Corruption

O PERATION C OUNTRYMAN

DICK KIRBY

has also written

Rough Justice Memoirs of a Flying Squad Officer

The Real Sweeney

Youre Nicked!

Villains

The Guvnors Ten of Scotland Yards Greatest Detectives

The Sweeney The First Sixty Years of Scotland Yards Crimebusting Flying Squad 19191978

Scotland Yards Ghost Squad The Secret Weapon against Post-War Crime

The Brave Blue Line 100 Years of Metropolitan Police Gallantry

Death on the Beat Police Officers Killed in the Line of Duty

The Scourge of Soho The Controversial Career of SAS Hero Detective Sergeant Harry Challenor MM

Whitechapels Sherlock Holmes The Casebook of Fred Wensley OBE, KPM, Victorian Crimebuster

The Wrong Man The Shooting of Steven Waldorf and the Hunt for David Martin

Laid Bare The Nude Murders and the Hunt for Jack the Stripper

Londons Gangs at War

Praise for Dick Kirbys Books

Rough Justice The continuing increase in violent crime will make many readers yearn for yesteryear and officers of Dick Kirbys calibre.

Police Magazine

The Real Sweeney His reflections on the political aspect of law enforcement will ring true for cops everywhere.

American Police Beat

Villains This is magic. The artfulness of these anti-heroes has you pining for the bad old days.

Daily Sport

Youre Nicked! A great read with fascinating stories and amusing anecdotes from a man who experienced it all.

Suffolk Norfolk Life Magazine

The Guvnors They were heroes at times when heroes were desperately needed.

American Police Beat

The Sweeney Thoroughly researched and enjoyable history, crammed with vivid descriptions of long-forgotten police operations races along like an Invicta at full throttle.

Daily Express

Scotland Yards Ghost Squad Dick Kirby knows how to bring his coppers to life on each page.

Joseph Wambaugh, Author Of The Choirboys

The Brave Blue Line Simply the best book about police gallantry ever written.

History By The Yard

Death on the Beat I am delighted Dick Kirby has written this book.

Michael Winner

The Scourge of Soho Dick Kirby has chosen his fascinating subject well.

Law Society Gazette

Whitechapels Sherlock Holmes Dick Kirby has done an excellent job.

The Ripperologist Magazine

The Wrong Man Dick Kirby gives us the gritty reality of this subject. I did not put this book down, reading it in one day, deep into the night.

Paul Millen, Author Of Crime Scene Investigator

Laid Bare Kirby writes with authority and clarity its highly recommended.

Real Crime Magazine

Londons Gangs at War This is a riveting book and Dick has done his usual amazing research.

London Police Pensioner

This book is dedicated to former Detective Chief Superintendent John Simmonds, who in the face of great adversity displayed unlimited moral courage.

And to Ann:

If love were what the rose is,

And I were like the leaf,

Our lives would grow together

In sad or singing weather.

A.C. Swinburne

THE FLAWED ENQUIRY INTO LONDON POLICE CORRUPTION

DICK KIRBY

First published in Great Britain in 2018 by

Pen & Sword True Crime

an imprint of

Pen & Sword Books Ltd

47 Church Street

Barnsley

South Yorkshire

S70 2AS

Copyright Dick Kirby 2018

ISBN 978 1 52671 254 7

eISBN 978 1 5267 1256 1

Mobi ISBN 978 1 5267 1255 4

The right of Dick Kirby to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing.

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For a complete list of Pen & Sword titles please contact

PEN & SWORD BOOKS LIMITED

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D ick Kirby was born in 1943 in the East End of London and joined the Metropolitan Police in 1967. Half of his 26 years service as a detective was spent with the Yards Serious Crime Squad and the Flying Squad.

Married, with four children and five grandchildren, Kirby lives in a Suffolk village with his wife. He reviews books, films and music, is a consultant for a television series and writes memoirs, biographies and true crime books this is his fifteenth.

Kirby can be visited on his website: www.dickkirby.com

F irst, I have to thank John Simmonds, to whom this book is dedicated, for his enormous help. Without him it would not have seen light of day. Next, to my friend David Woodland for his very kind and thoughtful foreword, also to Brigadier Henry Wilson of Pen & Sword Books for his unfailing assistance and enthusiasm and to George Chamier for his lynx-eyed editing.

Next, my thanks to the following, who provided much needed behind-the-scenes assistance: Dave Allen from the Bow Street police station website; Julie Bedford, Sussex Police; Bob Fenton QGM, the Honorary Secretary of the Ex-CID Officers Association; Alan Moss of History by the Yard; Susi Rogol, editor of the London Police Pensioners Magazine ; Phillip Barnes-Warden, Metropolitan Police; Chris Pearson, guest editor of The City of London Police Pensioners Newsletter; Ian Dyson QPM, Commissioner of the City of London Police, and Sarah Coker, Head of Staff Office; Claire OMalley from the Chamberlains Department, City of London Corporation; Becky Ford, PA to the Chief Constable of Dorset Police; Norman Robertson, Branch Secretary, Dorset Branch; Martin McKay, BTPHG webmaster; Philip Bye and Andrew Lusted from The Keep, East Sussex; Fiona Irving and Richard Gould, Equiniti Pensions.

When I first declared my intention to delve into allegations regarding the murky world of police corruption, often coupled with Freemasonry in various shades of grey, several (no doubt) well-meaning people told me, pityingly, No ones going to talk to you, you know. And initially, I began to think they might be right.

I requested help from a number of people; some ignored my pleas, others for reasons best known to themselves flatly refused. Some people did come forward but wanted to give their information anonymously. Another initially told me, I couldnt possibly tell you what went on, even now and then, later on, he did, and told me things which were quite hair-raising. Someone else said, Im not talking to you over the phone but then he did as well and told me things so matter-of-factly that when I checked them out independently and discovered they were true, I found them all the more astonishing. There were one or two, with varying degrees of menace in their voices, who told me, Be careful, plus another who reminded me, The streets are dangerous.

One of the sources to which I appealed for assistance was the City Police Pensioners website. Within 12 hours of my request being posted, it was viewed on 285 occasions; the vast majority of viewers were ex-CID officers and not one of them contacted me.