Page 157 - Once a copper 10 03 2020

continued until my last tour of duty connected with the riots on Wednesday
2 October, by which time a state of peace had returned to the Handsworth
nd
community.

More frequently than I would have liked, I found myself assigned to serials
(vans) that had no equipment in the way of riot helmets, fireproof overalls
and shields. I was public order trained like so many of my colleagues, and
whilst not welcoming riotous disorder, if it was to happen, I wanted to play my
part in quelling it.

On the few occasions I was assigned to a fully kitted serial, home was to be a
van fitted with a metal riot cage to protect the windows. We would all be
donned up in the riot helmets and flame-proofs, sitting in the sweaty van on
standby in the yard at Queens Road Police Station awaiting orders.

Many of these engagements were routine, often parked up awaiting
deployment to an area where rioting or looting had been reported. Most of
the deployments I was involved in consisted of lining up across a road or
junction, controlling or restricting the access to incident scenes where
investigations were being conducted by fire and scenes of crime officers,
often where Arson had been the cause of commercial premises being
torched. Riot shields, whilst essential for the safety of officers and the defence
of ‘the line’, were seen and provocative, so were only issued when threat
from riot attack was imminent.
Two incidents remain clear in my mind, despite the passing of years.

On the second night of rioting, our serial was sent to park up near the Villa
Cross pub. As we sat in the van, information was passed to us by radio that a
mob of black lads were in nearby streets heading our way, armed with
Molotov Cocktails, (bottles filled with petrol with a rag in the neck). When lit
and thrown, these were fearsome weapons, so the order was given to make
sure we were ready to jump out at a moments’ notice, with shields.
As it turned out, the mob had a surprise tactic ready for us. As we were to
discover later, a milk float had been stolen locally, filled with crates of empty
bottles. The mob had prepared literally hundreds of petrol bombs. The milk
float was driven around a corner and we could see it approaching from the
rear window of the van, followed by the angry mob. We were at the foot of a
hill; the milk float was being steered down the hill toward us.

Spark to a flame

Expecting to be ordered out of the van any second, the order never came,
and it proved a wise decision. When only a few hundred yards away, we saw
there were bodies clinging to the sides and back of the float. As it began its Page157
descent of the hill, we saw flames appearing from the crates on the back of