HC Deb 20 December 1983 vol 51 cc124-5W
Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the two-night exercise in Fulham in which 100 special constables were involved; what was the number of road blocks that were set up; and why, for how long and on whose authority this was done.

.Mr Hurd

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that a crime prevention exercise, in which Metropolitan Police special constables were involved as a part of their operational training, was held on two beats in the Fulham division of F district of the Metropolitan police district on Thursday 3 November and Friday 4 November 1983 between 8 pm and 1 am each evening. Eighty-one special constables were involved on 3 November and 107 on 4 November; regular police officers were also present. On the authority of the Deputy Assistant Commissioner in charge of No. 1 area, two road blocks, each lasting for between half and three-quarters of an hour, were set up at four places on each of the two evenings to interview drivers on a selected basis for possible road traffic offences. No crime was reported on either evening in the areas covered by the exercise.