“Coppers” footage leads to complaints against Nottinghamshire Police

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Channel 4, Coppers, IPCC, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire Police

Nottinghamshire Police have received a number of complaints after footage of police officers forcefully restraining people aired on Channel 4’s ‘Coppers’.

In one segment an officer pushes a drunk 14-year-old girl to the ground while her mother is heard crying in the background. In another segment a drunk and disorderly man is pushed over and then has his coat placed over his head.

In the programme, broadcast this evening, officers described their organisation as a ‘gang’. One officer said: “Do you want to know what the biggest gang is in Nottingham? My gang.” Another said “It’s a good gang to be in”. A third officer added “It’s always going to be our gang that’s going to win.”

A complaint was lodged 45 minutes into the show. Before the end credits had started rolling an operator called back to say that due to the number of complaints a letter would have to be written to the head of Nottinghamshire Police, Chief Constable Julia Hodgson.

Viewers took to Twitter to complain about what they had seen. Ianbrough01 said: “#coppers at this point are we supposed to think that the Police are acting responsibly?? #provocation.” Emmajoanna wrote: “Think some of those police officers should be sacked the way they were throwing women into the floor like that #coppers #channel4.”

It isn’t the first time that the force has been accused of being heavy handed. In 2009, Trent FM received a video showing police officers using a taser gun three times to arrest a man in the city centre. An IPCC investigation ruled that the officers’ use of the tool was “lawful and proportionate”.

Talking From Beyond The Grave

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Death, Facebook, North East

The unpredictability of death means that things which would or should have been said are buried with the body but a new Facebook app looks set to change that.

If I Die allows users to record a video or create a message which is posted on their profile when they die. The legacy message is only posted after three nominated “trustees” confirm that the user has died.

Eran Alfonta, one of the app’s creators, said: “We all want to leave something behind, we all want to leave a stamp behind us.”

Few people would want a daft status update to be the last thing they left behind. A few weeks ago I posted a status which read: “You know it’s been a good night when you wake up next to an unexploded firework!”

While it may seem a bit morbid to leave a message now for when you die loved ones could find the video or words comforting. The app’s creators have given suggestions on how messages could be structured but users can say anything.

More than two thirds of people in the North East do not have a last will and testament so the message could set out funeral plans and who gets what. A shocking revelation could be left for an Eastenders-esque departure or you could finally tell the people you hate how you really feel.

So, will you use the app and what will you say?

APCOA Blunders in South Shields

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APCOA, Fire Brigade, Parking, Parking Tickets, South Shields, South Tyneside Council

A Fire Brigade vehicle and a contractor’s van carrying out council maintenance work were wrongfully given parking tickets a local councillor has revealed.

An overzealous parking attendant issued a fixed penalty notice for a marked vehicle from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue when it went to evaluate damage caused by a fire behind the Denmark Centre on Fowler Street.

In another incident, a Balfour Beatty van which was repairing street lighting was given a ticket. The baffled contractor, who was replacing a lightbulb using the van’s crane, tried to reason with the enforcement officer to no avail.

Both tickets were eventually rescinded by APCOA which was awarded the parking services contract for South Tyneside Council. The contract has recently been put out to tender in the wake of growing public anger at how the company conducts itself.

The local councillor said that it looks likely South Tyneside Council will run the service itself. It is currently paying APCOA £1.1m for running the service which creates £1.45m in income according to the Shields Gazette.

On Friday the paper revealed that thousands of motorists succesfully had parking tickets quashed on appeal. The figures reveal that every sixth ticket was wrongfully issued.